See COALITIONS on

Support Black People in Ukraine which is designed to collect goods and funds and help Blacks in Ukraine relocate. According to theirGoFundMe page, the Coalition had raised $92,588 towards its $100,000 goal by March 14. “This GoFundMe will help the students there and the ones that are outside of Ukraine,” said Dlamini. “The GoFundMe will also help some of the students whose governments are not helping them with the flight tickets and everything.”

Jamaica is the only Caribbean Community member that had students in Ukraine. After an initial outcry when the government informed their 20 Jamaican students in Ukraine that they were eligible to receive loans to pay for their airfare to get back home, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs flew the students home at government expense. Jamaica’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Kamina J. Smith announced that counseling will be made available for all of the students.

On the online messaging app Telegram, people have been organizing by joining specific groups or channels. The #Volunteers Black Foreigners in Ukraine channel listed some of the supplies they are trying to collect, such as first-aid kits, non-perishable foods, light sticks, flashlights, socks, radios, hand warmers, toe warmers, body warmers, water, tents, blankets; jackets, gloves, and hats; charged portable chargers, lighters, and power banks. While in the group #Afro@Ukraine info hub, one person used the hashtag iloveblackpeople to ask for “help… in identifying safe places for our fellow Africans in Ukraine.” The posting noted that “I love Black people movement is not promoting any business our main objective of recommending safe places is to help and protect Black people from racism and xenophobia.”

More people concerned about the situation recently came together under the Health N Communication (HNC) room on the audio app Clubhouse to discuss how racism is manifesting during this humanitarian crisis. Those in the room strategized about how to coordinate assistance.

Shireen Mitchell, founder of Stop Online Violence Against Women Inc. (SOVAW), told the HNC discussion: “In the beginning there was a disinformation campaign that was targeted on not only Black Americans but Africans that was telling people that any stories, any videos that were coming from Africans or anyone on the ground who had a different hue from the Ukrainians, that their videos were not to be believed. I’m not going to deny that some of those videos were being manipulated and used for other agendas, but what was happening was happening.

The racism displayed in the videos “has been used to try to discredit or weaponize any support to Ukrainians who deserve that support, who are asking for their sovereignty,” Mitchell added. “It is something that they have been fighting for for quite some time. This has a historical framework: Putin has been very rarely able to tell the truth; we just saw this with the humanitarian corridors where it was deemed to be safe for people to go through and…the students who were at the Sumy University tried to leave and were fired upon. That did happen.

“We now know that an African American basketball player is in Russia locked up because of assumed drug infractions. I’m only saying that story because before that people were telling Black and Brown people to go to towards Russia to get out of Ukraine and I have said several times…do not send Black people to Russia or Belarus: I wasn’t saying that just to be saying it nicely, I was saying that because one of the things that you don’t want to be doing is sending people who are trying to get out of harm’s way to [a place where they would] be in harm’s way.”

Police

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concurred with the sentiment of being a ‘right-to-shelter’ city. “We know that this experience has been especially scary for our residents experiencing homelessness,” said Bowser in a later statement.

Bowser said that the work continues to end homelessness and ensure all residents have access to safe and affordable housing as well as solving the gun violence crisis in communities.

Said Contee in a statement following the arrest, “I want to personally thank our community members who submitted tips and information in this case and thank our law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts in bringing this individual to justice.”

Ariama C. Long is a Report for America corps member and writes about culture and politics in New York City for The Amsterdam News. Your donation to match our RFA grant helps keep her writing stories like this one; please consider making a tax-deductible gift of any amount today by visiting: https:// tinyurl.com/fcszwj8w

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The HelpLine Support | Information | Advocacy

The HelpLine team provides information, answers questions, listens and assists with problem solving and referrals. Whatever issue a parent can face when raising children in the absence of their biological parents, the Coalition Helpline can provide immediate support. The HelpLine is a program of the

For Foster, Adoptive and Kinship Families 888.80.HELPLINE

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RUPPERT HOUSING CO. INC.

1779 SECOND AVENUE, NEW YORK, NY 10128 MITCHELL-LAMA CO-OP

STUDIO AND TWO BEDROOM CO-OP APARTMENT WAITING LIST IS BEING OPENED

Apartment Size Income Limits Min-Max* (125% AMI) Purchase Price

Studio

$21,414.30 - $119,375.00 $12,595.00 Two - Bedroom $30,983.50 - $185,000.00 $22,709.46

Monthly Maintenance Lowest to Highest** Or 30% of income whichever is greater $497 - $582 $718 - $840

*Based upon the number of persons in household.

**Subject to change. OCCUPANCY STANDARDS: STUDIO: One to Two persons. TWO (2) BEDROOM: Three to Five persons. No fewer than three persons, a brother and a sister who are both adults, or a parent or guardian with at least one child.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: (FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH ANY OF THE FOLLOWING WILL RESULT IN DISQUALIFICATION)

• Applicant must be at least 18 Years Old at the time of the lottery. • Applicants must be financially responsible. • Current Shareholders are not eligible to apply • Preference will be given to documented veterans selected in the lottery. • Any applicant that does not have the proper family composition will automatically be disqualified. • ONE REQUEST ONLY PER APPLICANT. Any applicant placing a duplicate request will not be entered into the lottery.

An applicant can only submit a paper entry or an on-line entry. If applicants enter on-line and also mail in a letter or postcard, they have submitted a duplicate request and will not be eligible for the lottery. • Applicants can only be on one waiting list at a development. If applicants have the right family composition, they can apply to more than one lottery. However, if they are selected for more than one lottery, they will have to choose which waiting list they prefer. • An applicant whose name is selected in a lottery cannot be included in the family composition of any other applicant who is selected in the same lottery for that particular housing company development.

Failure to comply will result in the disqualification of both applicants. Additional Information: Waiting list will be established by a limited lottery. There will be a limit of 300 applicants drawn from the Studio Lottery. There will be a limit of 250 applicants drawn from the Two Bedroom Lottery. HOW TO APPLY: ONLINE You can now apply to a lottery online through Mitchell-Lama Connect. Applying is fast, easy and you will be able to check the status of your entry to see if you have been selected. To apply on line go to:

https://a806-housingconnect.nyc.gov/nyclottery/lottery.html#ml-home

BY MAIL Mail Post Card or Envelope by regular mail. Registered and Certified Mail will not be accepted. Clearly print your full first and last name, current address and last 4 digits of your social security number and the bedroom size lottery that you wish to apply for. If you do not include the last 4 digits of your social security number or fail to indicate the bedroom size lottery, you will not be entered into the lottery. Mail post card or envelope to: Ruppert Housing Studio Lottery P.O. Box 372 114 John Street • New York, NY 10038 Ruppert Housing Two Bedroom Lottery P.O. Box 374 114 John Street • New York, NY 10038 DEADLINE: Requests must be postmarked by: April 7, 2022.