Lower East Side pitches in to help migrants

BY THE VILLAGE SUN

Lower East Siders came together in early March to hold a resource fair at P.S. 20 for recently arrived migrants. Local activist Lilah Mejia was the event’s lead organizer, but stressed that it was an all-around community effort.

“As president of the Community Education Council for District 1, I have been working alongside Carry Chan, our superintendent, looking at our school numbers and waiting for migrants to show up since we did see an influx in other districts,” Mejia said.

“In December we had about one or two, and in a matter of a couple of months that number kept increasing. The superintendent wanted to do something to support these families and she asked for help. I came up with the idea of having a resource fair.”

Mejia reached out to a slew of organizations to table at the Essex Street school to provide “tangible resources” for the attendees.

“We used the C.E.C. 1 platform and put out a call through our schools for donations and we had parents donate toiletries and clothes,” she said. “Our superintendent had an organization in New Jersey donate toiletries, alongside a synagogue that donated, as well.

“This was a community-led effort that I just happened to spearhead. Our volunteers were people from the community, alongside parent coordinators who brought their families and stayed to help out. We had students volunteer.

“We saw foot traffic of 500-plus people who came to our event. Families received clothing, shoes, food, toys, books and haircuts, toiletries.

Blessed for the partnership with P.S. 20, who helped to make the event successful. Principal Pinto and custodian Gil were instrumental in helping with this event.”

Participating organizations included University Settlement, Henry Street Settlement, Grand Street Settlement, Educational Alliance, GOLES, Lower Eastside Girls Club, New York

City Human Resources Administration, East Harlem Tutorial and Ryan-NENA Community Health Center. Local politicians also had tables at the event, including Congressmember Dan Goldman, Assemblymember Harvey Epstein and Councilmember Carlina Rivera. Assemblymember Grace Lee also attended but did not have an information table.