The New York Bar Foundation recently presented a generous grant to the Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans (CIANA) for the second consecutive year. The grant will be used to support their immigration legal services program, which has continued to serve dozens of immigrant clients in the past year, despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
CIANA has offered low-cost legal services for the immigrant community since 2017, providing assistance with citizenship and green card applications, family petitions, DACA renewals, TPS, and more.
“We have just gone through unprecedented times with a global pandemic that has disproportionately impacted communities of color,” says Emira Habiby Browne, CIANA’s Founder and CEO. “We are very grateful to the New York Bar Foundation for helping us address the vital immigration legal needs of so many immigrant families, many of whom have suffered enormous consequences of the pandemic.”
Foundation grants assist non-profit organizations with essentials-of-life issues such as child support, consumer debt, housing, access to health care and education, and family matters such as domestic violence and family stability. Added this year was a focus on COVID-19 related issues, and racial justice impacted programming needs.
“The New York Bar Foundation has allocated nearly $700,000 in grants to 107 programs across New York significantly increasing the total number of grants over the past several years,” said Lucia Whisenand, chair of the Grant Review Committee. “The issues we touch on are extensive and impact people in life changing ways.”
By raising awareness of the need for access to civil legal services and allocating resources to help meet these needs, the Foundation will help make access to justice a reality for New Yorkers and, thereby, enhance the understanding of and respect for the rule of law.
CIANA is grateful to once again receive the support of the New York Bar Foundation, ensuring that the growing legal needs of New York City’s diverse, vulnerable immigrant population are met as the pandemic continues.
“Our commitment to serving our marginalized immigrant communities has never wavered,” Habiby Browne continues. “We will continue to provide all our services remotely, and to reach out widely to disseminate information to help stop the spread of COVID-19.”
About the New York Bar Foundation
The New York Bar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, is the charitable arm of the New York State Bar Association. Established in 1950, the Foundation is dedicated to aiding charitable and educational projects to meet the law-related needs of the public and the legal profession.
To learn more about the Foundation visit www.tnybf.org or email Deborah Auspelmyer at dauspelmyer@tnybf.org.