Long Island Laboring Against COVID-19

On Saturday 9/25, Office of Minority Leader Legislators Kevan Abrahams and Debra Mulé co-hosted the 15th Annual Back-To-School Supply Giveaway!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Organized by Trimz BarberShop and Heeling Soles, the giveaway handed out backpacks, sneakers, school supplies, vegetables and fruits, masks, hand sanitizers, and other essential resources necessary for our South Shore community. LILAC and our parent org Girl Pride Int’l partnered with other sponsors like Glory House Recovery Inc, Bethpage Credit Union, Clarity Surgical, Freeport Inc., Gio’s Little Angels Daycare, Hand & Hand Outreach, Millennium Sistahs, Parabit, Awalom Family & Friends, and more! We were especially inspired by the efforts of Trimz Barber Shop, Heeling Soles, and Glory House to strengthen our communities, even as they themselves are financially strained in the midst of this ongoing pandemic. We were also honored to have the Nassau County Police Department and Freeport Police Department stop by and support our students, in addition to bringing their own contributions. It was wonderful to see people from all walks of life join in!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ This Drive-Thru served hundreds of young students of the South Shore community and their families. It marked the second of a four-year commitment from LILAC/GPI, with members Alyssa Pinto, Natalie Kaplan, Tina Ting, Umesh Ponugupati, and our youngest member Minghan Tang (10), handing out backpacks and bags full of supplies, sneakers, and food. We also want to say thank you to our members' parents who were there to deliver boxes of vegetables and fruits to this drive-thru. We are very proud to help our community members, and we give gratitude to the support of our donors and followers like you. Thank you for stepping up and helping out our community. Together, we will overcome the hurdles the pandemic placed before us, and let compassion and generosity uplift us all. ⁠⁠ ... CONNECT WITH US! WEBSITE: https://www.lilacovid19.org/ INSTA: https://www.instagram.com/lilacovid_19/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LILACorg FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LILACovid19/

While it’s been noted in the media that the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on our society has included a surge in xenophobia and racism, we wanted to once again reiterate the exacerbated effects this bigotry has had on the AAPI community. These attacks and increased hostility have tragically not stopped, but only increased. Additionally, the mental health impact on people of AAPI descent has gone largely unnoticed and unaddressed. It is important that we not forget to continue to combat anti-Asian hate on a daily basis. While news coverage can increase awareness for a moment, let us not allow it to dictate our attention on these pivotal issues! Our communities are hurting, and it is up to us to fight for equality, justice, and respect for all people. We must also engage on a policy level, urging cultural sensitivity and promoting legislation to tackle hate crimes in a way that tangibly reduces the detrimental effects on society. Today we are sharing a recent rally we co-organized, and remembering that it is our duty to stand up for Asian lives! Anti-Asian xenophobia and racism in the USA goes back to as far as the 19th century, when the Page and Chinese Exclusion Acts rejected potential immigrants, and who could forget the discrimination Japanese-Americans faced during WWII. Our history is fraught with bias and racism, and to this day Asians face harassment in many forms, being viewed as “perpetual foreigners” who can never be “true American.” We must fight in solidarity against all forms of discrimination and hate! Please, let us continue to do our best in supporting the AAPI community as this pandemic rages!

At the recent Anti-Asian Hate Rally LILAC co-organized, we were profoundly moved and honored to have NY Senator John C. Liu, Congresswoman Grace Meng (D-Queens), and Director of Nassau County Office of Asian-American Affairs, Farrah Mozawalla, join us to inspire change, connect with our communities, exhort resilience, and demand proactive actions in support of AAPI lives. While news cycles come and go, it’s important for us to remain attentive to rising trends of anti-Asian hate, and speak up from within our community so that others who do not experience this form of discrimination can be aware of and help combat anti-Asian bias. We are so privileged to have these incredibly Asian-American role models as stalwart voices for positive change and for justice! It is important to have a representative body in government that reflects the American populace in its entirety, so that we all have a voice and say in how our country is run. It is up to us to take actionable steps and live lives of integrity, which includes being brave enough to advocate for ourselves, even if society ignores us. We will not stop fighting until the world knows we are here! @johnliuny @grace4ny @farrahmozawalla

In addition to political leaders from within the AAPI community, we were also joined by NY Senator Jim Gaughran, Nassau County Executive Laura Curran, and Town of Oyster Bay Supervisor Joseph S. Saladino. We are so thankful for these allies in the struggle against anti-Asian hate! They have rightly decided that injustice to some is an affront to all, and that until one of us is still discriminated against, we are not all free! We want to encourage everyone to get involved in the fight against anti-Asian hate, and that if you see something, DO something! Be in community with and intentionally advocate for those outside of your lived experience! Listen to and believe what others say about their perspectives navigating this country. It is important that we humbly unite and work together if we are to truly make a change in this country. And let us not be passive in our desire for justice! We must demand tangible legislative and cultural change, so that we can all truly be free! @countyexecutivecurran @gaughran4senate @supervisorsaladino

As we close our coverage of the recent rally for AAPI lives, we want to continue to exhort our community to stand together for justice and equality for all. We are grateful to have politicians and community leaders like Nassau County Legislator Joshua Lafazan (18th District), Legislator Kevan Abrahams (1st District), and District Superintendent Dr. Tom Rogers, who came together with us in support for our cause! We must remember that in addition to a shift in our culture, it is important to also advocate for a shift in our legislative processes. In this way, we can create a system that works for all of us! It is so encouraging to see politicians and community leaders from all walks of life coming together to stand for AAPI lives, and we have hope that we can continue this good work, even as news cycles come and go. We want to encourage everyone to get involved in the fight against anti-Asian hate, and that if you see something, DO something!

On 8/7, LILAC partnered with Legislator Josh Lafazan’s office, and other community and student-led organizations to run a back to school clothing and supply drive for the Youth and Family Counseling Agency. YFCA of Oyster Bay has been providing a wide range of mental health and social services to Long Island families for more than 50 years! LILAC donated 5000 masks, 5 boxes of hand sanitizers, and boxes of clothing and school supplies to do our part for a community organization that has been a bed rock of philanthropy and service for Nassau County. We are so delighted to see Ms. Berke, assistant principal of South Woods Middle School, taking the time to bring her three lovely young boys, to support our collective endeavor with their own donations. Our LILAC artist Bill Yu also donated his digital artwork “Never Stop Dreaming” to YFCA for this community building occasion. As we continue to cope with the precarious and more dangerous Delta variants, and entering the flu season soon, we wish to continue uplifting each other through these trying times. Thinking of contributing to our cause? Check out our GoFundMe page in our bio, and please continue spreading the word! And if you are an artist, writer, singer, or any type of creator, we encourage you to please continue sending submissions towards our ThankYou & WeCare Initiative at LILACovid19@gmail.com! If you are a student who would like to become a member, check out our CampSite to fill out a Google Form for entry! ... CONNECT WITH US! WEBSITE: https://www.lilacovid19.org/ INSTA: https://www.instagram.com/lilacovid_19/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LILACorg FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LILACovid19/

We are so happy to share our donation yesterday on December 29th, 2020 with Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Legislator Debra Mulé, to Mount Sinai South Nassau, totalling in 20,000 PPE, $2,000 worth of meals, and beautiful TYWC Artworks.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ We are so grateful for the support and partnership of Executive Curran and Legislator Mulé in this donation of 20,000 PPE to our communities’ frontline workers! We want to thank hospital leadership and the doctors and nurses who took their time to meet us today, including Ken Long, Vice President of Administration at Mount Sinai South Nassau. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ LILAC also donated some wonderful artwork by member Yeonwoo Lee and calligraphy by member Tina Chen in response to Executive Laura Curran’s “We Can Do It, Nassau!” vaccine public-awareness campaign. LILAC is happy to share that we will also begin initiating a Student For Vaccines campaign in conjunction with Executive Curran’s vaccine awareness efforts!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ In addition, we partnered with two amazing local Black-owned businesses to donate $2,000 for 120 hearty lunches. Along with Sarah Brown Catering, whom we worked with through Legislator Kevan Abrahams’ office, we wanted to highlight BennyB’s Restaurant in Baldwin, NY. BennyB’s Restaurant recently experienced the passing of one of it’s owners, Benny Bodley, to COVID-19 in August. Renee Bodley, his wife, continues to manage this iconic local restaurant, and LILAC is honored to partner with both of these businesses to bring our community together. Check them out if you can!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ We also wanted to once again thank Legislator Josh Lafazan for setting a great example for today’s youth, energizing and empowering LILAC and other youth organizations to continue on our path of meaning-making. He is a powerful young voice in politics and continually stands for justice and the betterment of our country. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ We hope this donation helps as we continue to unite as one and encourage each other during these hard times!⁠ ... CONNECT WITH US! WEBSITE: https://www.lilacovid19.org/ INSTA: https://www.instagram.com/lilacovid_19/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LILACorg FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LILACovid19

On October 31st, LILAC is proud to have donated 4,000 masks and boxes of hand sanitizers to the Veterans of Foreign War Post #2912 of Wheatley Heights, #361 of Wyandanch, and #588 of Deer Park. Our veterans have put their lives on the line to serve our country and protecting us. Even in our brief time at VFW yesterday, we were enlightened by their resilience and kindness. But the pandemic does not discriminate. Even the strongest are at risk of contracting the virus. We must do more to protect our veterans. In the spirit virus. We must do more to protect our veterans. In the spirit of the upcoming Veterans Day, LILAC is taking this opportunity to honor our veterans, who have long instilled hope and pride in our country, with our humble donation. We are grateful for all who have made this donation possible! Your generous help and donations have directly made it possible for LILAC to pay this tribute, a tribute representing all Americans, to our dedicated veterans, and to thank them for their dedicated veterans, and to thank them for their service. LILAC would also like to thank our members Nikhita, Eric, Aarjivi, and Alyssa for stepping up to represent LILAC when our founder Sabrina was unable to attend yesterday. In deciding to dedicate part of their special holiday: Halloween to LILAC'S mission, these members have demonstrated their initiative and commitment. ... CONNECT WITH US! WEBSITE: https://www.lilacovid19.org/ INSTA: https://www.instagram.com/lilacovid_19/ TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LILACorg FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/LILACovid19/