14
QUEENS WEEKLY, JAN. 13, 2019
Fair Fares
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Fares NYC program in the
first year. On Jan. 4, the Department
of Social Services
started contacting 30,000
eligible working New Yorkers
who are receiving cash
benefits. The notifications,
and subsequent phone
calls, will inform the group
of their eligibility, and
invite then to the nearest
Fair Fares NYC location
to receive their half-priced
MetroCard.
Eligible recipients
can also call 311 to assist
in receiving their card.
In April, and additional
estimated 130,000 New
Yorkers who are receiving
SNAP benefits will receive
notifications about how to
access their cards.
“Fair Fares is now a
reality in New York City,”
said City Councilman
Daniel Dromm, the chair
of the Committee on Finance.
“These discounted
MetroCards will make bus
and subway fares more affordable
for thousands of
low income New Yorkers
who rely upon mass transit
each day. Fair Fares has
long been a priority of the
Council and I’m thrilled to
see it come to fruition.”
Critics argue the program
leaves out CUNY
students, the working
poor and some immigrants.
Comptroller
Scott Stringer released
data that shows the city
had significantly scaled
back initial eligibility
leaving out hundreds of
thousands of low-income
New Yorkers.
“The good news is
that Fair Fares is finally
leaving the station. The
bad news is that after
today’s announcement,
the price of a MetroCard
will remain an obstacle
for the vast majority of
the 800,000 New Yorkers
who were originally
promised relief,” Stringer
said. “That’s hundreds
of thousands of families
who will struggle to get
to work or a job interview
because they can’t afford
a full fare. For their sake,
we need to make sure this
delay doesn’t become a
derailment.”
St. Francis
On Dec. 15, St. Francis
Prep — located at 61-00
Francis Lewis Blvd. — welcomed
disabled men and
women throughout Brooklyn
and Queens to its annual
party Our Friends
with Special Needs. The
celebration included a
light breakfast, Mass,
lunch, live music, the SFP
Chamber of Orchestra, the
SFP dance team, and a visit
from Santa.
“In 1980, Sister Joseph
Agnes Hohmann asked
a number of volunteers
to assist some ‘very precious
men and women’
at St. Francis Prep’s Annual
Christmas Party for
our Friends with Special
Needs,” said Suzanne
Camus, a social studies
teacher and organizer of
the party. “Little did those
people realize that she was
teaching the true meaning
of Christmas: Service to
others in the great Franciscan
tradition.
Sister Agnes died in
2005, but St. Francis Prep’s
alumni and faculty are
working together to keep
the party alive in her memory,
according to Camus.
Each guest received a
Christmas gift and a favor
as they left the party. Since
many of their guests do not
have families, the party is
the only celebration of the
holiday they enjoy.
St. Francis’ efforts are
supported by the Colgate
Palmolive Company, JP
Morgan Chase, the St.
Francis Prep Alumni Association,
Father’s Guild
and Mother’s Guild, and
over 200 student volunteers.
The Italian Club
and various other SFP
clubs are also involved in
the party.
In November, St. Francis
Prep’s annual Thanksgiving
drive in mid-November
martialed the
entire school. The drive
started with a schoolwide
prayer service that
served to outline the
goals for the drive.
Both Reverend Ralph
Edel, Prep’s Chaplain, and
senior Ashley Caturano
spoke to the school.
Prep’s Campus Minister
for Service Learning,
Ashley’s comments in particular,
about the value of
giving, and the impact of
service, were especially
resonant, according to
Shawn Sempowich.
Each COR (or homeroom)
was given a specific
request, such as baby products,
and the results were,
said Sempowhich, “the
best results in years.”
“The kids were very,
very open. Definitely a culture
of giving amongst the
students and that translated
into success. This
year was more of a grass
roots effort and the kids
rallied around the cause,”
said Sempowhich.
The organizations
that benefitted from the
drive were St. John’s
Bread and Life, Hour
Children’s House, Queen
of Peace Residence, Presentation
Parish Soup
Kitchen, St. Aloysius
Food Pantry, St. Francis
Table at St. Matthias,
and Incarnation Food
Pantry.
Reach reporter Carlotta
Mohamed by e-mail at cmohamed@
schnepsmedia.
com or by phone at (718)
260–4526.
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Suzanne Camus (c.) with members of Prep’s Alumni Board and
student volunteers at the Dec. 15 Christmas party.
Courtesy of St. Francis Prep