CPC Successfully Hosts Our 7th Annual City Advocacy Day

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Date: May 7, 2024

Press Contacts: 

Alice Du, Director of Communications | (212) 792-4585 | adu@cpc-nyc.org

CPC Rallies 500 Staff and Community Members to Push for Essential Funding at 7th City Advocacy Day

New York, NY – Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC), the nation’s largest Asian American social services organization, alongside over 500 staff, community members, and elected officials convened in Foley Square near City Hall today for CPC’s 7th Annual City Advocacy Day to advocate for FY25 budget priorities that address the needs of Asian American, immigrant, and low-income New Yorkers.

"Despite being 18% of New York's population and the city's fastest-growing group, the AAPI community remains underfunded, while our challenges multiply. Insufficient resources have led to long waitlists, rising costs, and inadequate support for critical services," said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the CPC. "We stand united with our allies and elected partners to advocate for the restoration and enhancement of funding to essential community programs, such as senior services, child care support, and literacy programs, to ensure equitable access and support for all members of our diverse communities.”

A few of CPC’s priority issues this year include:

• Restore and enhance funding to critical programs, including early childhood and youth programs, 3K and pre-K, senior services, and all Council Initiatives (such as Access Health NYC, Adult Literacy Program, Geriatric Mental Health Initiative, and legal services initiatives).
• Prioritize funding for support services and programs that keep communities whole, rather than funding the continued over-policing of communities of color and immigrants.
• Expand eligibility of CityFEPS, a rental assistance supplement and other voucher programs that help families find and keep housing.
• Enhance the AAPI Community Support Initiative to $7.5 million to address anti-Asian discrimination by investing in Asian American led organizations that have deep roots and track records in the most impacted communities.
• Invest in community-based organizations that bridge the language divide to provide essential services, information and access to City resources. These organizations must be kept whole in order to reach communities living in linguistic isolation. 
• Fully fund Adult Literacy programs, the gateway to all other services for LEP New Yorkers by baselining an additional $10 million in funding for DYCD Adult Literacy over and above $11.85 million included in the DYCD Literacy RFP and maintaining $6.5 million for Council Discretionary funding.
• Expand the Summer Youth Employment program to ensure universal summer jobs to every young person that wants one, including fully funding program costs and good wages for program staff and youth participants, including undocumented young people.
• Invest $10 million in emergency legal services for the City’s newest immigrant residents
• Renew and expand undocumented childcare funding (Promise NYC) to $20 million.

CPC held meetings with more than 20 elected officials and invited staff, and community members to speak up during the event, alongside Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council (HSC), Council Member Carmen De La Rosa, Council Member Rita Joseph, Council Member Lincoln Restler, and Council Member Susan Zhuang.

CPC offers wraparound services to over 80,000 New Yorkers annually through a diverse range of over 50 programs. These include emergency food assistance, early childhood education, public benefits and unemployment assistance, support for community members with disabilities, and services for older adults.

“Thank you to the Chinese-American Planning Council for highlighting what’s important — strengthening our housing net, increasing access to good jobs while increasing pay to our service workers, and funding programs that enrich our immigrant communities. During Asian American Pacific Islander Month, we take a closer look at the needs of the Asian population across our city who have built robust communities so that we can provide them the tools to take the next steps in their upward mobility trajectory. As Chair of Civil Service and Labor, we are committed to uplifting holistic investments and opportunities that ensure New Yorkers can thrive from cradle to career,” said Council Member Carmen De La Rosa.

"New York City’s AAPI community has faced disproportionate hardships in recent years. CPC has worked tirelessly to advocate and deliver for Asian-American New Yorkers to ensure they are able to access the resources they deserve,” said Council Member Lincoln Restler.

“The JustPay campaign is a movement in the nonprofit human services sector to end government sanctioned poverty wages and to also demonstrate the true power of the sector. This year, our campaign was able to secure a multi-year cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) at the City level, a huge win that will help providers retain and recruit staff and will put money in the pockets of workers. This investment will increase wages 3% for each of the next 3 years for City contracted human services workers, and it is the workers themselves, like the many CPC workers who turned out at actions, that made this possible. Last spring, we turned out over 6,000 workers at a COLA rally, workers have called and emailed elected officials thousands of times, and this investment is the result of that collective action. CPC has been at the forefront of this effort, as part of HSC leadership and also in engaging their workforce in these essential activities. It is because of the workers at CPC that they, and their peers, will see real change, and we will continue to partner for even more investments in the coming years!,” said Michelle Jackson, Executive Director of the Human Services Council (HSC).

For more information about CPC and its range of community services, please visit www.cpc-nyc.org.

Press Coverage: World Journal, Epoch Times, Sino Vision, NYN Media, and NY Daily News 

About the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC):

The Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) is a social services organization that creates positive social change. Founded in 1965, CPC is the nation’s largest Asian American social services organization and aims to promote the social and economic empowerment of Chinese American, immigrant, and low-income communities of New York City. CPC is the trusted partner to individuals and families striving to achieve goals in their education, family, community, and career.

關於華人策劃協會 (華策會):

華人策劃協會（簡稱“華策會”）是一個致力於創造正向社會變革的社會服務機構。華策會成立於1965年，是美國最大的亞裔美國人社會服務機構，旨在促進紐約市華裔美國人、移民及低收入社區的社會權益和經濟賦權。華策會是為個人和家庭實現其教育、家庭、社區及職業目標而努力的可信賴機構。

ACERCA DE CPC

El Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC) es una organización de servicios sociales que crea un cambio social positivo. Fundada en 1965, CPC es la mayor organización de servicios sociales asiático-americanos del país y su objetivo es promover la capacitación social y económica de las comunidades chino-americanas, inmigrantes y de bajos ingresos de la ciudad de Nueva York. CPC es el socio de confianza de personas y familias que se esfuerzan por alcanzar objetivos en su educación, familia, comunidad y carrera.

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