The New York Bar Foundation recently presented a generous grant to the Center for the Integration and Advancement of New Americans (CIANA). The grant will be used to support our immigration legal services, which, despite lockdown restrictions, are still in high need, and are currently being provided remotely.
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, and more. In 2019, we served close to 300 legal clients from all five boroughs.
"The urgency is clear and CIANA’s commitment to serving marginalized immigrant communities is evident," says CIANA's Founder and CEO, Emira Habiby Browne. "Our main goal at this time is to help our immigrant community address a global pandemic and a public health crisis of disproportionate levels. With support by the The NY Bar Foundation, we will continue to reach out and provide vital immigration legal assistance to our immigrant families, address their needs, disseminate up-to-date information, and provide access to resources that will help keep families living and working in the epicenter of the crisis safe."
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.
“The New York Bar Foundation has allocated nearly $650,000 in grants to 110 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.
“Through our grant-making program we help improve access to justice by providing seed grants to innovative legal projects piloting new ways to help those in need,” adds June Castellano, Vice-chair of the Grant Review Committee. “When you give to the Foundation you help make a difference across New York State.”
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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. At a time when the help of legal services organization are in great demand, the Foundation has established a COVID-19 Emergency Legal Relief Fund. Donations to the fund will assist New Yorkers across New York State in need of legal services due to the impacts of COVID-19 through their grant program. Donations can be made at https://givetnybf.swell.gives/.
To learn more about the Foundation visit www.tnybf.org or email Deborah Auspelmyer dauspelmyer@tnybf.org.