NYS-CACCI Census 2010 Outreach and Mobilization Initiative

CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
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SUZANNE S.
VEIRA
EDMOND
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ANTHONY
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CHRISTINE
TYRELL
ELSIE SAINT
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GORDON
DAVID
MORISSET
1
JULIAN
LYNCH
CACCI HONORS 2010 ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
AND INDUSTRY, INC. (CACCI) BUSINESS COURIER
WWW.CARIBBEANTRADECENTER.COM
ESTABLISHED SINCE 1985
SPRING 2010 EDITION
NYS-CACCI Census 2010 Outreach And
Mobilization Initiative Launc
hed In Br
ooklyn
Launched
Brooklyn
YOU ARE NEW YORK - MAKE YOURSELF COUNT
NYS-CACCI Census 2010 Official Launching. Joining Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., CACCI
President and CEO (center) at the Launching and Partnership Ceremony were Project
Director Dr. Waldaba Stewart, and several CACCI Board members, over 75 business,
religious, community, educational and cultural leaders, and youth leaders from Hispanic,
French Creole and English speaking communities who participated in the historic
Launching and Partnership Census 2010 Ceremony. Also present were Assemblyman
Karim Camara, and representatives from the offices of NYS Senator John Sampson, NYS
Senator Eric Adams, NYC Councilmembers Mathieu Eugene and Jumaane D. Williams,
Consular Earline King who represented the Caribbean Consular Corps in New York, Irwin
Claire, United States Census, and other representatives from the offices of the NYS
Secretary of State, NYC Census Office and the office of Brooklyn Borough President.
(Photo by Seitu Oronde)
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CACCI Business Courier
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Publisher/Editor in Chief
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Derek E. Broomes, CPA, Board Chairman
Christiana J. Bridgewater, Esq.
Dr. Henry Frank
Lowell Hawthorne
George Hulse
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CACCI Administration and Business Services
Dion Alleyne, Executive Assistant
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CACCI Educational Foundation Board
Helen M. Byron- Baker, Board Chair
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CACCI Business Advisory Board
Hilton Smith, Chair
Joy Crichlow
Dr. Karl Rodney
Bishop Cecil Riley
Dr. Ebony Kirkland
Patricia Sampson
Sybil Chester
Peter Nwaobi
NYS/CACCI Census 2010
Outreach and Mobilization
Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr.
Executive Director
Dr. Waldaba Stewart
Project Director
Yexenia Markland
Administrative Assistant
Editorial Assistants
Yvette Mendes
Babooram Rambissoon
Ernest Skinner
Marketing Consultant
Max Smith
Promotional Consultant
Derek Noel
CACCI Census 2010 Oversight Committee
George Hulse, Chairman
Eda F. Harris-Hastick
Balfour Peart
Edmund Sadio
Flatbush Caton Market
Ana Walker, Project Director
CACCI Census 2010 Fiscal Oversight
Thompson and Company, CPA
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Unit 239, Brooklyn, NY 11205
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Copyright CACCI Spring 2010
Published by
Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) Educational Foundation
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
NYS/CACCI Census 2010 Outreach and
Mobilization Initiative Launched in the
East Flatbush Communities
You Are New York
Make Yourself Count
Partners Urged
To Help Raise
Community
Response
vidual who is counted in the district, the community
receives resources contributed from the government.
This means better schools, better hospitals, safer
streets, cleaner neighborhoods, more economic investment and more stable and economically thriving neighborhoods.”
He also urged Brooklynites to fill out the forms,
saying “High response rates determine how many
elected representatives will come from our community and the degree of political and economic power
we will have. A failure to fill out the form represents a
failure to family and community and means a loss to
Brooklyn, NY—The Caribbean American Cham- every individual in our community.”
ber of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI) EducaDr. Waldaba Stewart, project director, said that
tional Foundation officially launched its NYS/CACCI working closely with its partners CACCI would enCensus 2010 Outreach and Mobilization Initiative at gage in a robust and targeted education and mobilizathe Flatbush Caton Market in Brooklyn, NY recently. tion campaign that reaches into churches, housing
Joining Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., CACCI President and projects, schools, community organizations, homeless
CEO who served as convener at the launching and shelters, and facilities housing the formerly incarcerpartnership meeting were CACCI Board members, ated. “Our aim is to encourage our partners who are
Project Director Dr. Waldaba Stewart, and over 75 well-established within the community to spread the
business, religious, community, educational, cultural word that filling out and returning the census form is
and youth leaders from Latino,
a big win for our families
French Creole and English
and our communities. It’s
speaking communities. Also
about maintaining elecpresent were Assemblyman
toral power, getting suffiKarim Camara, a representacient resources for our
tive of the Office of the NYS
community and better fuSecretary of State, and repretures for our children.”
sentatives from the offices of
Hastick said the initiaNYS Senator Eric Adams and
tive would target Districts
NYC
Councilmembers
14 and 17, representing
Jumaane D. Williams and MatFlatbush and East
thew Eugene, as well as
Flatbush, and home to
Earline King, representing the
predominant immigrant
Caribbean Consular Corps,
populations from the Carand representatives from the
ibbean, Central and South
United States Census, the CenAmerica, as well as Afsus Division of the NYS Ofrica, Asia and the Middle
fice of the Governor, NYC and
East. In the past Central,
Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., President and Founder
the Office of the Brooklyn BorNorth and East Brooklyn
ough President.
have had some of the lowest response rates in the city,
Hastick said there is an extra push to get those with Flatbush, East Flatbush and Bed-Stuy chief
communities that returned low response rates in the among them. New York has historically had the low2000 census registered this year. Those areas were est response rate in the country, costing the state some
predominantly immigrant populations and working $165 million dollars alone in the 2000 census.
class communities where residents have been relucMeeting conveners said they expect CACCI’s edutant to mail in the form fearing that the information cation and mobilization campaign to significantly inwill be used by immigration authorities and have a crease the number of respondents from the targeted
negative impact, or used against them in other ways. communities. “We are going to put in the work to get
Hastick asked the partners to help CACCI focus on our community to return the forms,” said Hastick, “and
increasing response to the Census 2010 form by hard- at the end of it I think our community is going to surto-count populations in Central, North and East Brook- prise a lot of people.”
lyn; assure immigrant populations that their particiThe Flatbush Caton Market will serve as the headpation in the Census has no association with the Im- quarters for the Outreach and Mobilization
migration and Naturalization Service (INS); and exInitiative and will be open every day for the displain to the target populations the impact of the un- semination of information and training of outreach
der-count on government funding and political repre- workers. Bi-lingual Spanish, French and Englishsentation.
speaking outreach workers will be available to answer
Other speakers said that filling out the form is a questions about the census and to translate. The
win for every community that has a high response rate. CACCI website will also feature a page dedicated to
“It is imperative that every household fill out the form Census information. Workers and partners will disand include everyone living in the household,” said tribute census forms at subway and bus stops, comHastick. According to Assemblyman Camara, “Our munity/cultural events, at shopping centers, housing
community stands to gain so much. For every indi- complexes and at private homes.
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Message From The President Of The
United States On The 2010 Census
The White House
“Every 10 years, our Constitution requires the federal government to conduct a census. This helps determine your representation in Congress, as well as
how federal funds are spent on things like schools and
roads, and where businesses decide to put new stores
and factories. So when you get your census form in
mid-March, take about 10 minutes to answer 10 questions — remembering to include everyone in your
household. Because we can’t move forward until you
mail it back.”
ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in
the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional
seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in
federal funds to tribal, state and local governments
each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will
be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10
questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict
confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the
information they provide.
President Barack Obama
Governor Paterson Fills Out 2010
Census Form, Gets Counted
G
overnor David A. Paterson to
day filled out his 2010 census
form and encouraged all New
Yorkers to complete and return their
forms by National Census Day on April
1. The Governor joined the U.S. Census Bureau Deputy Regional Director
for New York, Ligia Jaquez, Secretary
of State Lorraine A. Cortés-Vázquez,
elected officials and community groups
at the Bronx United for a Better Count
rally, held to increase census participation.
“The census is a safe and critical tool
for our democracy, providing the data
that determine the resources our communities will receive. The information
we gather every 10 years affects our
schools, hospitals, roads and highways,
and many other essential services that
we rely on. That’s why I have filled out
my 2010 census form – so that my family and I get counted,” Governor Paterson said. “We cannot meet New Yorkers’ needs without an accurate picture
of our towns, cities and State. I encourage New Yorkers to participate in this
often-overlooked civic duty. It’s time to
get counted.”
Secretary of State Cortés-Vázquez
said: “I am encouraged that New Yorkers have begun sending back their census forms by the hundreds of thousands
– but there is still a very long way to go.
We need everyone to count to help our
communities determine where to put
schools, hospitals and roads – and to get
our fair share of federal funding to help
Governor David A. Paterson
in developing these projects. Working
together, we can ensure all New Yorkers are counted this time around.”
The census is a nationwide effort to
count the more than 310 million people
living in the United States – including
the nearly 20 million residents of New
York. The 2010 census forms were
mailed in March and include just 10
questions that can be answered in less
than 10 minutes. The responses are
strictly confidential and protected by
law. The Census Bureau cannot share
any of the form data with any individual,
government agency or private organization.
“The many census myths that have
discouraged participation are designed
to do just that: prevent people who need
to get counted from doing so,” Governor Paterson added. “I want to make
clear that the census responses will not
be shared. The census is not a reason
for government to step into your backyard; it’s a means to provide a growing
and diverse nation with the resources it
needs to thrive.”
The population data collected by the
census will determine New York’s political representation in the U.S. House
of Representatives, the New York State
Legislature and local governments. The
census information will also determine
how the federal government distributes
more than $400 billion each year. The
funding supports programs that include
education, housing and community development, health care and transportation.
More than 200,000 New Yorkers
were not counted in the 2000 Census,
costing New York millions of dollars in
federal aid. New York State had a 66
percent participation rate in the 2000
census, compared with 72 percent nationally. As of March 30, 2010, New
York has a 45 percent participation rate,
compared to 50 percent nationally. The
Bronx is among the counties with a traditionally low participation rate. As of
March 30, the Census Bureau had received forms from 36 percent of Bronx
households.
Governor Paterson has made a complete and accurate census count a priority of his Administration. Last year, he
signed Executive Order No. 30 to establish the New York 2010 Census Complete Count Committee to raise awareness of the census and maximize participation.
In December, the Governor announced the award of $2 million in
grants for community groups and local
governments to complete outreach and
education campaigns. In addition, he has
directed State agencies to communicate
with undercounted communities, including those in lower-income communities,
the elderly and undocumented residents.
4
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Census 2010: An Urgent Call
To Count All New Yorkers
By State Senator John L. Sampson, Democratic Majority Conference Leader New York
State Senate
I
n a little over a month the 2010 Census will wind down. So far, the return numbers for Brooklyn and New
York are not encouraging. Quite frankly,
they are way too low. And these low
return numbers mean that New York
State stands to lose millions of federal
dollars and at least one Congressional
seat, perhaps two. The sad truth is that
we have not participated fully in the
2010 Census. We have not taken it seriously, and in some cases distrust of the
Federal Government has only helped to
further depress the count in our communities.
The goal of the census was and is
simple: to get as accurate a count as
possible of all people living in the
United States. This time the US Census
Department went to great lengths to
make the reporting form as simple as
possible, non-invasive, and far shorter
than in previous years. The census form
contains only 10 relatively simple questions and takes 15 minutes to complete.
It is vitally important that all of us
in New York State and Brooklyn in particular participate fully in the last leg of
the census because non-participation
can and will affect, not only New York
state as a whole, but local communities
as well. At stake is an annual pot of 400
billion federal dollars and what share
New York State will get each year for
the next 10 years.
The more complete and accurate the
count, the more money we will receive.
The lower and less accurate the count,
the less money we will get – it is as
simple as that.
Participating in the census is not just
some meaningless exercise that the federal government does every 10 years.
This 2010 count will quite literally determine and affect the quality of all our
lives for the next 10 years.
For example, information and data
collected by the census will determine
how many seats a state gets in the United
States Congress. Census data will also
influence the building of hospitals,
schools, senior centers, bridges, tunnels
and other public works projects, job
training centers, and emergency services.
More of these things will come from
one simple process: answer 10 questions
and return the form to the US Census Department. Or speak to Census Enumerators who will knock on uncounted doors
from now until July 4, 2010. But in the
final analysis it is all up to you. Your
participation cannot be forced.
Plain and simple non-participation at the family level will cost
our community money. For
example, for each person in
a family who did not participate the loss to the community is estimated at just over
$4,500 per individual. Clearly, this
figure can reach millions of dollars lost each year for the next 10
years because people did not
bother to fill out and return the
census forms or did not speak to
census takers when they knocked
on your doors. This multiplier effect on our community will be financially devastating.
I know that there is a fear especially in the undocumented immigrant community that data obtained from the census will be
shared with the United States immigration authorities and that deportation can result. Let me be clear:
in my discussion with the US Census Department I was given the assurance, backed
up by law, that no data with be shared with any
federal agency and certainly not the Unites States Citizen and Immigration Services (USCIS). So the undocumented can participate fully without fear of
their status being shared with the USCIS.
Moreover the questions asked have
nothing to do with immigration or
immigration status.
As a matter of fact,
non-citizens
visiting their
families
for
State Senator John L. Sampson, Democratic Majority Conference Leader New York State Senate
more than six months also have to be
counted in the census and this adds to
our numbers. The census ensures that
each community gets the right number
of representatives in government. Because representation is based on population, an up-to-date tally is essential.
Equitably distributing the billions of
dollars of public money requires up-todate population data.
In broad terms, the census helps us
see how our country is changing. In the
2000 census, 281.4 million people were
counted in the United States, an increase
of 13.2 percent from the 1990 census
population of 248.7 million. The highest rates of population growth were reported in the South and West. The data
from the census and all Census Bureau
surveys, including the American Community Survey, are protected by law.
Personal information like names and
addresses can never be released. Statistical summaries of the data for geographic areas and political units are
available on the Web, but there is no way
that individual households could be
identified based on their responses.
Finally, in the 1990 census New
York City lost more than $415 million
in just federal funds alone because of a
significant under count. I am urging
New Yorkers to participate fully in the
census. As President Barack Obama
said: Our future is in your hands.
[Senator John L. Sampson represents Brooklyn’s 19th Senate District
that includes Flatlands, Canarsie, parts
of Brownsville and East new York.]
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Secretary Locke, Census Bureau Launch National
‘Census
In
Schools’
Initiative
To Improve
The 2010
Count
BALTIMORE — With the 2010
Census less than five months away, U.S.
Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke and
Census Bureau Director Robert M.
Groves today visited a Baltimore high
school to help launch a new initiative
to help local school districts educate
young people about the U.S. Constitution and the importance of the census.
“We are thrilled to launch the Census in Schools program,” Locke said at
Digital Harbor High School in Baltimore. “The census is a vital part of our
democracy and children have historically been undercounted. When local
schools decide to include census ideas
in their curriculum, kids will learn about
the important role the census has played
throughout American history and increase their awareness of the upcoming
2010 Census.”
Scholastic Inc. — a global children’s
publishing, education and media company — has worked with the Census Bureau to develop the standards-specific
supplementary education materials,
which are being provided to all 118,000
schools nationwide. It is expected that
schools will decide on their own
whether to include the material as part
of their standard curriculum.
The Census in Schools materials are
available
free
online
at
<www.census.gov/schools> for educators, students, parents, home-schoolers
and the public. Teachers can use the lesson plans — as they are or adapted as
needed — to teach a host of topics including mapping, math concepts, data
literacy and civics.
For students who come from homes
where English may be a second language or where there’s a low level of
information about the decennial count,
the Census in Schools program represents an opportunity for students to
teach their parents about the importance
of participating in this national, civic
exercise and the central role it plays in
the annual allocation of more than $400
billion of government funding.
“The Census in Schools program
offers creative ways for students of all
ages to think about their community and
how this important constitutional responsibility can impact it,” Groves said.
“Kids cannot vote but the census offers
a real way they can actively participate
in our democracy. We hope schools will
find some useful ideas to supplement
their regular curricula.”
Available resources online include:
· Lessons Plans: Materials will
feature skill-building activities in map
literacy, graphing, reading and civic responsibility.
· Teaching Ideas: Provides ways
teachers can incorporate census information into the classroom.
· Facts for Features: A compilation of facts about special days, including anniversaries and observances such
as Women’s History Month, Cinco de
Mayo, Back to School and more.
· Broadcast, Photo and Radio
Services: Easy-to-access research opportunities include photos and videos.
· Quick Facts: Quick, easy access to facts for students and teachers
to learn about people, business and geography for the nation or states, counties or large cities.
· Maps: Teachers can print and
post maps in their classroom enabling
students to closely study real-world census data and graphically see the demographics and population distribution of
the United States.
Home schools can access the same
materials online at <www.census.gov/
schools>.
For more information about the Census in Schools program or to learn about
how
to
participate,
visit
<www.census.gov/schools>.
U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke
NYS Reaches 2000 Census Mail
Participation Rate Of 66 Percent
New York City (59 Percent) Surpasses
2000 Mail-Back Rate (57 Percent)
Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez
ALBANY - Secretary of State Lorraine CortésVázquez announced today that for the 2010 census
New York state has reached its mail participation rate
from 10 years ago of 66 percent. At 59 percent New
York City has surpassed its 2000 total (57 percent).
Since Friday, eight additional New York counties
- Albany, Cattaraugus, Kings, Madison, Oneida,
Putnam, Queens and Ulster - have reached or surpassed
their 2000 census mail participation rates, bringing
that total to 27 of the 60 counties for which participation data is currently available.
Recent tallies from Brooklyn and Queens mean
Staten Island is the only borough that has yet to surpass its mail-back rate from the previous census.
Meanwhile, the national pace is 71 percent, or one
percent below the mail participation rate 10 years ago.
"This is encouraging news, and I want thank all
New Yorkers who have submitted their census forms,"
Secretary Cortés-Vázquez said. "For those that have
yet to return their forms, there is still time to be
counted. It's important to remember that the information we gather through the census affects our schools,
hospitals and roads and many other services that we
rely on."
Answers to the 10 census questions are confidential and cannot be shared among government agencies, no matter if you send the form in by mail or if
you give your answers to a census taker.
To view a complete list of 2010 census participation rates by state, county and community, as well as
an interactive map featuring the locations of Questionnaire Assistance Centers and Be Counted Sites in
New York, please visit 2010.census.gov/2010census/
take10map. For more information on census updates
and events in New York state, please visit
www.census2010.ny.gov.
6
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Mayor Urges Community News Outlets
To Help Carry Census Message
M
Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg
ayor
Michael
R.
Bloomberg, City Census
Coordinator
Stacey
Cumberbatch, U.S. Census Bureau
Regional Director Tony Farthing and
Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs
Commissioner Fatima Shama continued the City’s efforts to get a full and
accurate count of all New Yorkers in the
2010 Census by briefing a collection of
the City’s community media organizations on the neighborhood by neighborhood response rates to the census, and
urging community news outlets to implore their readers, listeners or viewers
to return census forms before the April
15th deadline.
The Mayor continued his census
radio tour, urging New Yorkers, in
multiple languages, to return census
forms.
This morning, only 48 percent of
2010 Census forms have been returned
by City households, compared to 62 percent nationwide. At the briefing with
community media outlets, the Mayor
provided the response rate for every
neighborhood in New York City and
highlighted the neighborhoods where
census response rates remain low.
The City’s Census Office, a new
entity created by the Mayor to support
Federal efforts, has formed local partnerships across the five boroughs with
community organizations, cultural and
educational institutions, faith-based organizations, immigrant advocacy groups
and others to spread the word that all
New Yorkers have something to gain
and nothing to fear by filling out the
census form, as all information is kept
confidential, in accordance with Federal
law.
The Mayor was joined at the briefing in the Blue Room of City Hall by
some of the City’s census partners, including Juana Ponce De Leon of the
New York Community Media Alliance,
Norman Eng of the New York Immigration Coalition, Imam Souleimane
Konate of Masjid AQSA Mosque and
the Council of African Imams, Inc.,
Andy Yu of the United Chinese Association of Brooklyn, Martha Chavez of
New Immigrant Community Empowerment, George Hulse of the Caribbean
American Chamber of Commerce
and Industry, Esmeralda Simmons of
Medgar Evers Center for Law and Social Change, Kian Brown of the Southern Queens Park Association and Ali
Najmi of the Seva Immigration Community Advocacy Project.
“We’re entering the stretch run and
fewer than half of New York City households have returned their census forms,”
said Mayor Bloomberg. “A low response rate could have very serious consequences for our city – for each person who is not counted in the census,
the City loses about $3,000 in Federal
aid every year, money that could be
spent on services our communities all
want and need.”
Local Haitian-led Organizations Receive Funding To Meet
Rising Needs In NYC In Wake Of January Earthquake
T
he Brooklyn Community Foundation and
United Way of New York City today announced
that $250,000 from the NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing Fund (Hope and Healing Fund)
will be awarded to twelve New York City nonprofit
organizations working in four key issue areas: case
management; legal; healing; and education. Launched
in February 2010—one month after the devastating
earthquake in Haiti—the Hope and Healing Fund was
created to provide financial support and critical
resources to local nonprofit organizations that are
attuned to the needs of Haitian American New
Yorkers and to strengthen these organizations so they
can most effectively serve the increased number of
people needing assistance.
This first round of funding will help weave together the expertise of local nonprofits—many of
which are Haitian-led—in dealing with increased
needs following the earthquake. Additional grant
awards will follow in the coming months.
“The NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing fund is a local response to a rising tide of need,”
said Marilyn Gelber, President of Brooklyn Community Foundation. “The Brooklyn Community Foundation and the United Way of New York City have
been working closely with the Fund’s Advisory Committee to better understand the community’s needs and
we will continue to keep watch on these issues as they
develop and grow in number.”
“The grants awarded today by the NYC Haitian
Community Hope and Healing Fund is a first, but
important step forward in addressing the longer-term
needs of community members,” said Gordon
Campbell, President and CEO of the United Way of
New York City. “Selected because of their proven track
record of achieving results and understanding of the
community in which they serve, the twelve grantees
will fulfill a critical role in the months ahead.”
The following culturally competent, communitybased organizations working in four areas: case
management, legal services, healing, and education
will receive funding:
Case Management: To connect those seeking
services with existing resources that address
immigration, family reunification and adoption, and
other legal issues, housing, financial assistance and
public benefits, grief and trauma counseling, and job
training and placement.
To date, the NYC Haitian Community Help and
Healing Fund has raised $429,000. Both Brooklyn
Community Foundation and the United Way of New
York City contributed $100,000 to help launch the
initiative in February. Additional funding has come
from the New York State Health Foundation, the
Altman Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation,
Capital One Bank, the UJA Federation, Carver Bank,
St. Francis College and from individuals. The short
and long-term needs of the community will be continually assessed, and the Fund hopes to raise enough
funding to support these efforts over time.
Brooklyn Community Foundation President Marilyn Gelber (second from left front holding check) awarded $250,000 to 12
local organizations to help address long-term social service, legal, trauma and educational needs of NYC’s Haitian American communities in the aftermath of the January 12th Earthquake in Haiti.
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Brooklyn Borough President Marty
Markowitz Joins NYS/CACCI Census 2010
B
rooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz, Councilmember Mathieu Eugene; Bruce
Williams, Office Manager LCO 223, US
Census Bureau; Dr. Waldaba Stewart,
NYS/CACCI Census 2010 Project Director; Mary Bishop, Special Assistant
to Congresswoman Yvette Clarke; Gina
Cheron, Executive Board Member of
the Consortium for Haitian Empowerment; representatives of Eglise du
Nazareen Libre; and an array of CACCI
community partners, joined Dr. Roy
Hastick, Sr., President/CEO of the Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (CACCI), in a
Census 2010 March to the Mailbox
on Saturday, April 10, 2010, at the
Flatbush Caton Market Court Yard,
814 Flatbush Ave, corner of Caton
Ave, Brooklyn, NY.
In a symbolic March to the Mailbox
to mail in completed census forms, Borough President Marty Markowitz urged
Brooklynites to fill out the form and
mail it in so that the borough and state
can get drastically needed resources.
Markowitz said the ten minutes it takes
to fill out the form will result in many
benefits for Brooklyn communities, including funding for better schools,
healthcare, jobs programs, senior services and other programs. Not filling
out the form, however, can lead to losses
in funding and may be costly to the community.
Low response rates throughout
Brooklyn communities have caused
concern among elected officials and
Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz
community leaders. Some of the lowest responding areas have been identified as those with a predominant Caribbean and, or, immigrant population.
Councilmember Mathieu Eugene
said that if Flatbush and other residents
have not yet mailed back the form they
should do so now. He urged residents
to “include everyone in your household,
and when you are finished with your
form, remind your neighbor to mail in
theirs and call a friend or two and remind them as well.”
Addressing common misconceptions and distrust about how census information will be used CACCI President
and CEO, Dr. Roy Hastick said “There
is nothing to fear from filling out the
census. The information will not be
shared with any other government
agency - not Immigration, not Homeland Security, no one. To do so is illegal
and can result in a fine, imprisonment
or both.”
Hastick and other march participants
issued a call to the community to get
mobilized and take personal responsibility for getting all within their family
and friendship networks registered before the April 15 mail-in deadline. Participants recommended the use of every available means of communication
to get the word out to friends and neighbors that they must fill out the form.
“We are urging everyone in the community to use their e-mail, Facebook,
MySpace and Twitter accounts to get the
message out to other Brooklynites that
they must fill out the census and mail in
the forms,” said Hastick.
Dr. Waldaba Stewart, Project Director for CACCI’s Census 2010 efforts
added, “Right now Brooklyn is far behind and unless we can correct that we
will most certainly lose out on hundreds
of millions, if not billions of dollars in
resources.”
CACCI’s March to the Mailbox
with Borough President Markowitz
was one of a series of CACCI outreach
and mobilization activities targeted to
hard to count neighborhoods over the
weekend. Working with the U.S. Census, NYS and NYC Census Bureaus,
CACCI’s targeted outreach activities
included a motorcade float with a DJ
and entertainment. The float traveled
to areas where census response rates
NYS/CACCI 2010 Census 2010 Outreach
And Mobilization Initiative Launched
T
he Caribbean American Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, Inc. (CACCI)
officially launched its NYS/CACCI Census
2010 Outreach and Mobilization Initiative recently
at the Flatbush Caton Market in Brooklyn, NY.
Joining Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., CACCI President and CEO at the Launching and Partnership
Meeting were CACCI Board members, Project Director Dr. Waldaba Stewart, and over 75 business,
religious, community, educational and cultural leaders and young people from Hispanic, French Creole
and English speaking communities who participated
in the historic launching and partnership Census
2010 ceremony.
Also present were Assemblyman Karim
Camara, and representatives from the offices of
NYS Senator Eric Adams, NYC Councilmember
Jumaane D. Williams, Consular Earline King
who represented the Consulate of St. Vincent and the
Grenadines and the Caribbean Consular Corps, and
representatives from the United States Census, the
Census Division of the NYS Office of the Governor, NYC and the office of Brooklyn Borough President.
have been especially low, including
Flatbush, East Flatbush, Flatlands,
Canarsie, Crown Heights and
Brownsville. Brooklyn’s current response rate is 42%, while Manhattan
leads with 54%, Bronx County with 50
percent, Queens County - 47 percent and
Richmond County - 52 percent. Only
48% of the City has returned census
forms versus 62% nationwide. Caribbean, African-American and immigrant
communities have been especially slow
to respond.
Working in partnership with the
New York State Census 2010 Initiative and over 50 civic and faith-based
community organizations, CACCI has
targeted the English, Spanish and
French/Creole-speaking communities in
Caribbean/Latino/and African immigrant communities of Brooklyn.
CACCI Census 2010 targeted outreach
and mobilization efforts include a series of Census education forums, doorto-door literature distribution, presentations at cultural, religious, civic and
educational organizations, as well as bilingual translation and hand-on assistance filling out census forms, 7 days a
week (M-F: 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m; and
Sat. and Sun. 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.) at
CACCI’s Census location in the
Flatbush Caton Market. For further information on the NYS/CACCI Census
2010 Outreach and Mobilization Initiative and assistance with Census
questions, call the CACCI Census Office (718) 287-1870 or CACCI (718)
834-4544.
8
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CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
NYS Launches Census Complete Count Campaign
G
overnor David A. Paterson has signed Execu- sure all New Yorkers are counted fairly and accurately
tive Order No. 30, establishing the New York in the census. Getting a true picture of all of our com2010 Census Complete Count Committee. The munities will help make sure we address the needs of
Committee will raise awareness of the 2010 Census all New Yorkers. I will continue working with Goverand will work to maximize the participation of all New nor Paterson, Senator Schumer and our entire ConYorkers. New York Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés- gressional Delegation to make sure we get our census
Vázquez kicked off the State’s 2010 Census Complete data correct, and make sure New York gets its fair
share from Washington.”
Count Campaign at an event in the State
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
Capitol.
said: “I commend Governor Paterson
“It is critically important for the
for establishing the New York 2010
future of New York that we assure a
Census Complete Count Committee.
complete and accurate count of New
As the Representative of the 11th ConYork’s population in the 2010 Census,”
gressional District in Brooklyn, where
Governor Paterson said. “Federal estiless than 35% of my district particimates suggest that more than 202,000
pated in the 2000 Census, I believe the
New Yorkers were not counted in the
Committee will improve Census ques2000 census – we can and we must do
tionnaire mail back rates and encourbetter. That is why I have instructed my
age cooperation with Census takers.
administration to do everything posMy office has been working with the
sible to ensure a comprehensive count.
Department of Commerce to greatly
This campaign is a real partnership beimprove my district’s participation in
tween government, community, busithe 2010 census. The Committee’s
ness and religious organizations. All
Congresswoman Yvette
work will be instrumental in helping
New Yorkers must be counted.”
to maximize the participation of all
The census count is used to deter- Clarke, D-NY
mine each State’s congressional representation for the next ten years and to establish new
boundaries for congressional, State legislative and
many local government districts.
The federal government uses census data to allocate more than $400 billion in federal funds annually
for community programs and services, such as education, housing and community development, health
care, transportation and more. State, local and tribal
governments use census information for planning and
to allocate funds for new school construction, libraries and other public buildings, highway safety and
public transportation systems, new roads and bridges,
location of police and fire departments and many other
projects.
Secretary of State Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez said:
“State agencies have a unique opportunity to play a
critical role in ensuring a successful count. Every state
agency will work to spread the message that completing the Census is easy, safe and important. Furthermore, this campaign will allow us to better coordinate our resources to target efforts at historically
undercounted communities — immigrant, minority
and low-income communities in particular. We are
truly all in this together.”
Earlier this year, Governor Paterson and leaders
of the State Assembly and Senate appropriated funds
in the 2009-10 State Budget for services and expenses
necessary for community outreach to assist in reducing the undercount in the 2010 federal Census. This
program will provide grants to fund public education,
community outreach and other activities targeted at
hard-to-count and low response rate populations for
promoting awareness of the 2010 Census, improving
Census questionnaire mail back rates and encouraging cooperation with Census takers.
The Complete Count Committee comprises the
heads of all State agencies and authorities. New York
Census Action Council will coordinate the
Committee’s work. The Council comprises the Secretary of State, who will serve as the Chair; the
Governor’s Counsel; the Governor’s Deputy Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs; the Commissioner
of Economic Development; the Commissioner of Children and Family Services; the Commissioner of
Health; the Commissioner of Housing and Community Renewal; the Commissioner of Labor; the Director of the Lottery; the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles; the Commissioner of Temporary and Disability Assistance; the Commissioner of Transportation;
and the Chancellor of the State University of New
York.
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said: “We need to make
New Yorkers. Census data is an invaluable resource
and provides a critical understanding of our country.
An accurate count of all ethnic communities will highlight their purchasing power and economic impact both
in the U.S. and global markets, particularly communities that represent a large part of the African
Diaspora.”
Congressman Eliot Engel said: “Getting a complete and accurate census count is vital for New York
and for the people who live here. Federal aid to states
in based on population, so a short count hurts everyone, especially those who need it most. Personal data
from the census is not shared with other federal, state
or municipal agencies, only demographic information
such as population numbers, ethnic breakdowns, etc.
When the census taker comes around, don’t be afraid
to get counted to help yourself and help New York
State.”
Congresswoman Nita Lowey said: “It is critical
that all New Yorkers are counted in the 2010 Census.
Without an accurate count, our state will be shortchanged in Washington of federal funding, representation, and influence. I look forward to working with
New York State and local officials to ensure all our
residents are counted.”
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
9
10
“NETWORKING WORKS”
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
NYC Comptroller, Councilmembers Address
CACCI Members During Monthly Meeting
New York City Comptroller John Liu joined
NYC Councilmembers Hon. Darlene Mealy and
Hon. Matthew Eugene, and Brooklyn Navy Yard
President Andrew Kimball at CACCI’s Monthly
Power Breakfast, at the Brooklyn Navy Yard
Headquarters. The theme of the Breakfast
Meeting was: Contacts and Contracts: Opportunities to grow your business in today’s economic climate. High on the agenda was the US
Census 2010 Outreach and Mobilization efforts
in Brooklyn.
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
11
CACCI Partners Help Make
2010 Census A Success
(Above) CACCI staff teams up with Census 2010 to bring awareness to Brooklyn residents
and help increase participation for the 2010 Census.
(Left) (from L-R) Yvette Mendes, CACCI Census Outreach representative, Earl Alleyne, President, All Fours Alliance USA, a 600 member organization, and Ana Walker, Director Flatbush
Caton Market at a NYS-CACCI Census Mobilization Presentation at All Fours Alliance Meeting in Brooklyn, NY.
City Begins Retooling Census Approach
In Hopes Of More Accurate Count
S
tacey Cumberbatch was appalled when she
found out that only 55 percent of New Yorkers
had responded to the 2000 census. The national
average, after all, was 67 percent.
“I was like, New York City can do better than that,”
said Cumberbatch. “Way better.”
So Cumberbatch, then chief of staff at the New
York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), accepted a
position as coordinator of the NYC 2010 census office that Mayor Michael Bloomberg (Ind.) created.
The office is charged with serving as a liaison between the city and the Regional Census Office, identifying historically undercounted neighborhoods,
partnering with neighborhood leaders to raise awareness and developing a message to promote census
participation.
Cumberbatch has spent most of her career serving
as an attorney to various city and state government
offices. She grew up in New York, where she attended
the United Nations International School. She credits
her 13 years there with teaching her the significance
of the city’s unique multi-cultural population.
“I’ve always been fascinated by different cultures
because that’s how I was raised,” said Cumberbatch.
A questionnaire will be mailed in March 2010 to
New York’s 3.4 million households that will ask people
to fill out name, age, gender, relationship to others in
the home, race, ethnicity and whether a member of
the family currently resides at a different address. That
information will determine New York’s representation
in Congress, as well as the amount of federal aid the
city receives.
“It is very relevant to the level of service that community is going to receive,” said Cumberbatch. “To
the extent that people don’t fill out the form, they ba-
sically don’t exist for purposes of federal funding.”
As the largest and most diverse city in the nation,
New York City faced difficulties in previous census
years, stemming primarily from the large number of
“hard to count” people. Generally, these include renters, single people, those with low socio-economic status and those living in ethnic enclaves. Three million
of the city’s residents are foreign-born, which poses
its own enormous challenges in obtaining an accurate
count.
The census office is planning to meet this challenge by verifying and updating its master address list
that must account for changes since the 2000 census,
including new building construction and commercial
spaces converted to residential ones, as well as the
illegal conversions found throughout the city.
The office is also working on a partnership program to promote community outreach via credible
individuals and organizations already in the various
communities to raise awareness that the census is coming and that filling out the forms is both necessary
and safe: necessary because it affects city and neighborhood funding, and safe because the information is
confidential and cannot be legally shared—a major
concern for illegal immigrants, for example.
“We are the most diverse city, so outreach has to
be very specific in these different communities,” said
Cumberbatch. “That it’s confidential, that’s a big issue for people. That it does not ask citizenship status,
whatsoever.”
The census office is working with NYCHA, whose
developments encompass approximately one in 13
New Yorkers. The housing authority presents challenges when residents are reluctant to reveal that additional people are living in their homes.
“You need to count everybody that’s in there,” she
said. “We know there are people, unauthorized, living in public housing.”
The city is also seeking to recognize gay marriages
in census responses. Bloomberg and City Council
Speaker Christine Quinn (D-Manhattan) wrote the
Census Bureau explaining that since New York recognizes same-sex marriages legally performed in other
states, the census should recognize these couples as
married. The Census Bureau has yet to respond to the
letter.
“Whether people are for same-sex marriage or not
is irrelevant,” she added. “It has to do with the statistics and reporting out that information.”
Stacey Cumberbatch
12
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CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
13
A smiling Dr. Eda Hastick greets her husband Dr. Roy Hastick, Sr., after he received the CTO Diaspora Award (photo by Donova Gopie).
Three Nationals Awarded At
Governments Of Caribbean State Ball
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Three distinguished Caribbean nationals who have
made outstanding contributions to the development of their countries and the region were honoured by the Caribbean
Tourism Organization (CTO) at Caribbean
Week in New York.
The CTO presented its prestigious awards - including the inaugural CTO Diaspora Award - to
nationals of Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica and
Grenada at the 37th Annual Governments of the Caribbean State Ball & Awards Presentation at the New
York Plaza Hotel on Friday 11 June.
Dame Yvonne Maginley who for half a century
served Antigua & Barbuda and the Eastern Caribbean
in various capacities - including executive director of
the Eastern Caribbean Tourist Association, director
general of tourism for Antigua & Barbuda and deputy
governor general received the CTO Lifetime
Achievement Award.
Your service and dedication to the Caribbean has
been fully demonstrated through your many outstanding achievements. You have faithfully served Antigua
& Barbuda in many roles, yet always with an eye toward increasing awareness of the tourism industry and
the lives of those associated with it. When called upon
to serve the wider Caribbean, you did not hesitate and
you helped expand recognition of the region to new
markets and audiences worldwide, the citation reads.
Grenadian Dr. Roy Hastick made history, becoming
the first ever to receive CTO Diaspora Award
The Lifetime Achievement Award honours long
serving, high performance professionals whose careers
have truly made a difference in the Caribbean. It is
for achievement over a period of several years rather
than a single contribution. It is awarded for achievement that distinguishes the individuals work and provides a legacy for future generations.
Grenadian Dr. Roy Hastick makes history becoming the first ever to receive CTO Diaspora Award.
Dr. Hastick - an avid supporter and advocate of trade,
investment and tourism to the Caribbean region - is
the founder of the Caribbean American Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (CACCI), a highly respected
organisation which promotes economic development
on behalf of Caribbean American, African American,
and other small businesses.
He is being awarded for your and for fostering
both economic development and prosperity in the
Caribbean American community.
You have opened doors and given generously of
your time and wisdom to help others craft their own
successes and you represent what it means to be a true
leader, the CTO says in its citation.
The third award was bestowed on Janice Armour,
a Dominican entrepreneur and philanthropist who received the CTO Special Recognition Award for your
unselfish and unwavering commitment to serving the
Caribbean region and its people. This award honours
a person or company who has done an extraordinary
job of positively promoting tourism to the Caribbean;
whose work brings recognition to the Region and
whose dedication to the development of tourism for
the benefit of the people of the Caribbean merits special recognition.
The CTO is an international agency responsible
for the Caribbean’s tourism development. Caribbean
Week in New York, which runs from 6 ~ 11 of June,
this year is a key event on its programme. During
Caribbean Week in New York some of the most influential policy makers, marketing professionals and tourism industry officials interact and discuss both tourism and investment opportunities in the region. The
Week also serves to provide a taste of the Caribbean
to inspire travel and showcase the Region’s diversity
to thousands of New Yorkers and visitors to New York
who participate in a number of targeted events. The
Governments of the Caribbean State Ball &
Awards Presentation ended Caribbean Week in
New York. It was black tie fund-raising gala to benefit the CTO Foundation which provides scholarships
for Caribbean nationals pursuing studies in tourism
related fields.
14
“NETWORKING WORKS”
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
King Family Urges Residents
To Open Their Doors And
Answer The 2010 Census
T
he three surviving children of Mar
tin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott
King — Martin Luther King III,
Dexter Scott King and Bernice Albertine
King — are the newest additions to a
growing list of well-known Americans
who have recorded public service announcements (PSAs) in support of the
2010 Census.
The list of endorsements includes President
Obama, Miss America Caressa Cameron, Donny
Osmond, Karl Rove, Olympic athletes, major league
baseball players, mayors, Members of Congress and
the late Dorothy Height. The King PSA is released
today to remind residents that it is not too late to be
counted in the 2010 census — just open your door to
the local census taker and answer the 10 easy questions.
The U.S. Census Bureau’s PSA campaign is meant
to raise public awareness about the 2010 Census and
motivate people to participate. There is no cost to the
taxpayers for each speaker’s time or for the airtime to
broadcast the PSAs over television or radio. The involvement of these trusted voices extends the reach
of paid, earned and social media.
Martin Luther King III is a human rights advocate
and community activist. From 1997 to 2004, he served
as president of the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference (SCLC), which was founded by his father, Martin Luther King Jr., in 1957. Dexter Scott
King is president of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change and a documentary
film maker. Bernice Albertine King is a minister, licensed attorney and president-elect of SCLC.
In the 60-second PSA, the King children speak
individually, each carrying a couple of lines. Bernice
begins, “We are united in support of getting everyone
counted in the 2010 Census.” In the middle, Martin
says “It is our human right and civic duty to be counted.
So please, honor your commitment to democracy.
Welcome your local census taker.” Near the end, Dexter concludes, “Our family, your family, we all count.”
The current gallery of PSAs is meant to increase
participation in the 2010 Census. Miss America reminds everyone, “We all count in the 2010 Census.”
Pop singer and dancing star Donny Osmond says, “The
information you provide will help your community
get the federal funding — and representation in Congress — that it deserves.” Even Nickelodeon’s animated character Dora the Explorer chimes in, saying,
“We did it! Yay! Everybody counts on the census form,
especially little kids!”
WHERE TO FIND PSAs
2010 Census PSAs can be seen, heard, and in some
cases downloaded, at the following sites:
2010census.gov — Official site for the 2010 Census. The Multimedia Center is a one-stop shop for information and media resources, including PSAs, videos and photos. <2010census.gov>
U.S. Census Bureau’s YouTube Channel —
Home to PSAs, TV ads, partnership testimonials and
how to “Fill Out Your Form” videos in dozens of languages. <uscensusbureau>
2010 Census PSA Spot Source — The place for
everyone to download or order hard copies from a wide
selection of PSAs in English and en Español.
<spotsource.census.gov>
NAB Spot Center — The place for broadcasters
to preview and download national PSAs in English
and en Español. <http://www.nab.org/AM/ASPCode/
SpotCenter/campaign.asp?id=68>
ABOUT THE 2010 CENSUS
The 2010 Census is a count of everyone living in
the United States and is mandated by the U.S. Constitution. Census data are used to apportion congressional
seats to states, to distribute more than $400 billion in
federal funds to tribal, state and local governments
each year and to make decisions about what community services to provide. The 2010 Census form will
be one of the shortest in U.S. history, consisting of 10
questions, taking about 10 minutes to complete. Strict
confidentiality laws protect the respondents and the
information they provide.
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
15
Caribbean-American Chamber of Commerce and Industry 25th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year, Corporate and Partnership Awards Luncheon: Front row from left to right: CACCI Board
Chair Derek E. Broomes, CPA;CACCI President/CEO Roy A. Hastick, Sr.; Healthfirst Senior Vice President and CACCI Honoree Keith Y. Gordon; Carib News Senior Editor and CACCI
Honoree Richard Anthony Best. Second row from left to right: CACCI Entrepreneur of the Year Awardees Frank Singh, President, Marine Funding; Suzanne S. Veira, Senior Director, NYC
School Construction Authority; Elsie Saint Louis Accilien, Executive Director, Haitian Americans United for Progress; Yolanda Sullivan-Hernandez, President, Sullivan-Hernandez Agency,
Inc., Daniel Ramos, President/CEO, Liberty Computing Center; David Morisset, Esq., Owner, Law Office David Morisset and Edmond Braithwaite, President, One Caribbean Radio.
CACCI Honors 2010 Entrepreneurs of the Year At ...
25 Annual Entrepreneur Of
The Year Awards Luncheon
th
T
he Caribbean-American Chamber
of Commerce and Industry, Inc.,
(CACCI) has announced that its
25th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year
Corporate and Partnership Recognition Awards Luncheon and Fundraiser
will be held on Friday, June 18th, 2010
at 11:30 a.m., at Steiner Movie Studios
Stage 6, Where The Magic of Hollywood meets the Glamour of New York,
Brooklyn Navy Yard Complex, Brooklyn, NY.
This year’s award recipients to be
honored are: Susan Vieira, Senior Director, Business Development, NYC
School Construction Authority will receive CACCI’s Corporate Diversity
Recognition Award; Keith Y. Gordon,
Senior Vice President and Chief Sales
Officer, Healthfirst will receive
CACCI’s Corporate Partnership Award;
Haitian American United for Progress
(HAUP) will receive CACCI’s Commu-
nity Partnership Award and Julian
Lynch, President, Windward Islands
Health Care Union, NA will receive
CACCI’s CARICOM Community Partnership Award. The recipient of
CACCI’s Year 2010 “Roving Ambassador” Award is Richard Anthony
Best, Senior Editor, New York Carib
News
CACCI’s Entrepreneurs of the Year
Award recipients are: Garner Bannister, President, Bannister Brothers Construction Company; Christine Tyrell,
Owner of Three Golden Krust Restaurants; David Gayle, President/CEO,
Tropical Paradise Ballroom and Restaurant; McDonald Romain, President, La
Baye Market; David Morissett, Esq.,
Owner, Law Office of David Morissett;
Daniel Ramos, President and CEO,
Liberty Computing Center, Inc.; Frank
Singh, President, Marine Funding, Inc.;
Yolanda Sullivan-Hernandez, Presi-
dent, Sullivan-Hernandez Agency, Inc.
and Edmund Braithwaite, President,
One Caribbean Radio.
Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr., CACCI
President/CEO described this year’s
honorees as dedicated CACCI member
entrepreneurs who are contributing to
the nation’s economy. “In these challenging times they remain committed to
taking the risk and accepting the challenges of small business ownership and
are to be commended for their fortitude
and for making a difference in their communities.” CACCI’s corporate partners
are being recognized for their commitment to fostering diversity, creating procurement opportunities for minority and
women business enterprises (MWBEs),
and for years of partnership which has
helped to strengthen CACCI. “This year
selection of CACCI’s ‘Roving Ambassador’ has devoted decades of service
to the Caribbean community in the
United States and the Caribbean
Diaspora, and we are pleased to honor
him for his contributions and commitment to institution building,” Hastick
said.
Founded in 1985, CACCI is a statewide membership organization which
has developed expertise in providing
assistance to start-up and emerging business owners in areas of business planning, financing, procurement, certification for M/WBEs, business expansion
and export/import opportunities.
As a result of extraordinary financial support, CACCI is in the final phase
of the development of the first ever
Caribbean Trade Center/Business
Incubator located in a busy commercial corridor in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. CACCI also manages
the Flatbush Caton Merchants Market,
a New York City-owned micro enterprise incubator.
NETWORKING WORKS!
BECOME A PROUD MEMBER OF CACCI TODAY!
WWW.CARIBBEANTRADECENTER.COM
(718) 834-4544
16
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CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
CACCI Continues To Garner Support From
Members, Elected Officials And Partners
Appeals for
continued
Disaster Relief
Assistance for
Haiti
The Caribbean American
aChamber of Commerce and
Industry, Inc. (CACCI) in New
York and its board of directors
are working in partnership with
elected officials, corporate partners in academic, medical, civic
and religious institutions, and
with many Haitian American
and other Caribbean American
organizations in the Caribbean
Community to help to facilitate
disaster relief for the people of
Haiti after the devastation,
deaths and destruction which
occurred Tuesday, January 12th
in Haiti.
Over the years, CACCI has
been involved in disaster relief
efforts helping to bring badly
needed emergency supplies to
aid hurricane stricken children
and families in the Caribbean.
When the disaster struck recently in Haiti, CACCI immediately established the
Flatbush Caton Market as its
drop off point for water, medical supplies and non perishable foods. The Market is located at 814 Flatbush Avenue,
Brooklyn, NY. Corner of Caton
Avenue.
According to CACCI President Roy A. Hastick, Sr., over
the past week he has witnessed
an outpouring of community
support for the people of Haiti
and donations of relief items
are pouring into the Market. He
also states that over two dozen
vendors at the Flatbush Caton
Market are of Haitian origin
and are experiencing this tragedy first hand. “They are worried and traumatized and we
are doing all that we can to
help to alleviate some of the
suffering and pain our Haitian
born vendors are experiencing
while at the same time we are
creating the space and opportunity for the community to get
directly involved in the relief
effort,” Hastick said.
He also expressed his gratitude to the leadership of
CACCI partner and corporate
member SUNY Downstate
Medical Center which provided
emergency grief and trauma
counseling services for the vendors and the surrounding com-
munity in an Emergency
Trauma Mobile Van that was
parked outside of the Market.
He also stated that it is also reassuring to see the community
response and the steady stream
of relief items such as nonperishable food, water and emergency medical supplies such as
wheelchairs and crutches that
are pouring into the Market.
Over the past week Hastick
has been in conversations with
several partners in this relief
effort including: Ambassador
Ray Joseph, Haiti’s Ambassador to the United States; Honorable Felix Augustin, Haiti’s
Consul General; Harry
Forche, President, Haitian
Consortium for Empowerment;
NYS Governor’s Representative Tobias Russo; NYC
Mayor Michael Bloomberg;
Brooklyn Borough President
Marty Markowitz, and
Deputy Borough President
Yvonne Graham; NYC Public Advocate Bill DeBlasio;
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn and Council members Mathieu Eugene, Letitia
James, Jumaane Williams
and Stephen Levin; Brooklyn
District Attorney Charles
“Joe” Hynes; NYS Conference Leader Senator John
Sampson’s representative
Derek Davis; Congresswoman Yvette Clarke; NYS
Senators Kevin Parker and
Eric Adams; NYS Assemblyman Nick Perry, Peter Rivera,
Felix Ortiz and Karim
Camara; City University of
New York Senior Vice Chancellor Jay Hershensen;
Medgar Evers College/CUNY
President Dr. William Pollard;
SUNY Downstate CEO Debra
Carey; Kings County Hospital
Executive Director Antonio
Martin; Kingsborough Hospital President Dr. Linda Brady;
Carib New Publisher Karl
Rodney; Jean Alexander, Caribbean Center of New York;
Rico Dupre, Producer, Radio
Soleil; Ambassador Dessima
Williams, Chair of AOSIS,
United Nations; Una Clarke,
Former NYC Council Member
and Community Advocate;
Daniel Lamaute, Coordinator,
Washington-based Haiti Emergency Response Team
(NOAH); Greg Arrindell,
CRA, Coordinator, Relief Efforts in St. Maarten, NA; Sir
Danny Williams, Former Governor General of Grenada;
Lowell Hawthorne, President,
Golden Krust Restaurants and
Grill; George Hulse, Vice
President, Health First, Carlyle
Paul, NY Carpenter’s Union;
Carl Reid, American Bio
Medical Supplies; Edmund
Sadio, Century 21 Real Estate
and Charles Sessoms, Vice
President, Coca Cola North
America, Rev. Hilton Smith,
Senior Vice President, Turner
Construction Co., and Member,
Southern Christian Leadership
Council (SCLC).
CACCI president also expressed his gratitude to the local, Caribbean and other international media which has converged on the Market. By including CACCI’s Haitian Relief efforts in their coverage of
the news coming out of Haiti,
the increased media attention
has also helped to get the word access resources from city, state
out that Flatbush Caton Mar- and federal agencies in order to
ket is a Haiti Relief Drop-Off enhance their business growth
and development. CACCI also
Center.
The Caribbean American provide training opportunities
Chamber of Commerce and In- in areas of small business mandustry was established 25 years agement and preparation for
ago to provide small business accessing small business fientrepreneurial services and nancing to help small business
promote trade and investment owners to prepare themselves
between New York, the United to meet the challenges and deStates, the Caribbean Region mands of doing business in the
and the international commu- US and in the Caribbean, and
nity. Its primary focus has been to compete successfully in a
on helping small businesses to global marketplace.
For information on CACCI’s Business Training and Networking Seminars on Business Services, Job Development and
Small Business Financing, NYS/CACCI Census 2010
Mobilization and Outreach Program and Haiti Emergency
Relief Efforts, contact CACCI: Tel.: (718) 834-4544.
www.CaribbeanTradeCenter.com
Congresswoman Yvette Clarke
NYS Conference Leader Senator John Sampson
NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn
Councilmember Mathieu Eugene
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
17
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Legislators and Business Leaders
Discussed State of the Economy In NY
How to Make Contacts and Secure
S
Contracting Opportunities For Small
peaking before a standing room
only gathering of elected officials,
CACCI members, business and
community leaders at the historic
Brooklyn Navy Yard Headquarters,
downtown Brooklyn, Dr. Roy A.
Hastick, Sr. President of the Caribbean
American Chamber of Commerce and
Industry (CACCI), welcomed the audience and encouraged them to introduce
themselves to each other and take advantage of the opportunity to meet and
greet business leaders and resource persons who were assembled at CACCI’s
Special Economic Development Leadership Power Breakfast Meeting, Thursday, April 29, 2010.
The featured speaker was Honorable John Liu, Comptroller of the City
of New York and the Chief Financial
Officer of the City of New York. In his
remarks he spoke about the state of the
City’s economy which has impacted the
small business community, especially
women and minority entrepreneurs. He
shared his vision for a brighter future
for the City’s fiscal state and highlighted
the role for small businesses, the backbone of the City’s economy as the
economy turns around toward a brighter
future.
Other special guest speakers were
Andrew Kimball, President of the
Brooklyn Navy Yard who described the
Navy Yard as experiencing a renaissance
which has created business opportunities for small business owners who are
certified. Citing recent joint efforts to
help small business owners, NYC
Councilmember Honorable Darlene
Mealy who also serves as Chair of the
NYC Council Contracts Committee,
discussed increased efforts to create a
more small business owner friendly
City. Mayor Michael Bloomberg,
NYC Council Speaker Christine
Quinn and the members of the New
York City Council have established a
Business Owner’s Bill of Rights which
Businesses at CACCI’s Power Breakfast Meeting
has created a structure that helps small
companies avoid automatic fines by allowing small business owner to contest
or settle violations without appearing in
person. NYC Councilmember Mathieu
Eugene also shared his perceptions that
the City Council is working to help
small business owners to access City
resources which would allow more entrepreneurs to open and expand small
businesses in the City of New York.
Roger Green, Executive Director of the
Dubois Bunch Center at Medgar Evers
College brought to the audience’s attention opportunities for CACCI and other
small business development organization to come together to explore and
define a role in order to create a small
business presence in the continued development and completion of the Atlantic Yards Stadium in downtown Brooklyn.
The theme of the Breakfast Meeting was: Contacts and Contracts: Opportunities to grow your business in
today’s economic climate. There was
ample opportunity for the attendees to
make contacts and networking with
CACCI board members George Hulse,
Master of Ceremonies, Vice President,
Healthfirst and Vice Chair, CACCI;
Derek E. Broomes, CPA, CACCI
Board Chairman and Edmund Sadio,
Owner, Century 21 Achievers and
Balfour Peart, Business Consultant and
Alfredo Theibaud, President and
Owner, Delicioso Tropical Ices. Business resource persons who made presentations on available small business
services through their agencies were:
Gregg Bishop, Assistant Commissioner
NYC Comptroller John C. Liu CACCI addresses CACCI during a Monthly Small Business
Networking Meeting, held at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Headquarters.
- NYC Department of Small Business
Services (DSBS); Bomi Kim, Director
of Opportunity for MWD Program NYC Economic Development Corporation (EDC), John Devine, Manager
- JPMorgan Chase Homeownership
Center; Charles Lockley, Vice President - Citi Bank, Marvin Lieberman,
Counsel, SCORE, and Joy Crichlow,
Director, Women and Minority Affairs,
Con Edison Company of New York.
Business leaders who were also
present were: Greg Glasgow, NYC
Schools Constructions Authority; Alfred
Placeras, Esq., President of the NYS
Federation of Hispanic Chambers of
Commerce; Greg Arrindell, CACCI’s
Roving Ambassador for the Netherland
Antilles, St. Marteen, NA; Dr. Moses
Newsome, Vice President for External
Affairs at Medgar Evers College,
CUNY; Rev. Ebony Kirkland, President Ebony Marketing; Winston Thompson, CPA, Thompson and Company and Bishop Cecil Riley, Caribbean
Clergy Coalition.
For information on CACCI’s
monthly networking meetings; membership; small business services and
workshops on Financial Literacy, Job
Development, Small Business Service;
vending at the Flatbush Caton Market,
NYS CACCI Census 2010 Outreach
and Mobilization Initiative, CTC/
Business Incubator or to schedule an
appointment with SCORE, contact
CACCI: (718) 834-4544 or visit us
online at www.caribbeantradecenter.com.
Councilmember Darlene Mealy stand for a picture with CACCI members and staff during a
Monthly Small Business Networking Meeting at the Brooklyn Navy Yard Headquarters.
CARIBBEAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY, INC.
“NETWORKING WORKS”
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It’s Your New York:
Make Yourself Count
By Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr.
C
ensus Day was an opportunity
for every resident of the United
States to be counted. The census only comes around once every ten
years.
It’s the only time each decade that
every resident of this country gets the
opportunity to be counted, and to have
that counting impact the drawing of congressional districts, the number of representatives from their state to the U. S.
Congress, and the amount of money our
communities get from the $400 billion
pie that the federal government distributes.
The good news is that only good
things can come from being counted in
the census. It results in aid from the federal government to the states. Money
that pays for affordable housing, Medicaid payments, goes into creating better schools, smaller classrooms, improved healthcare, road construction,
investment in our neighborhoods, safer
streets and greater political representation. In New York’s case, this year $25
billion is at stake.
As a Caribbean immigrant, I am well
aware, however, of the great fear that
many immigrants and others in our community have about giving information
about their households to the federal
government. I emigrated from Grenada,
West Indies years ago. Many of my
family members were also successful in
gaining legal entry to the States. I know,
however, that there are many other individuals from all parts of the world, the
Caribbean, Europe, South and Central
America, and Asia—many living in
communities in Brooklyn—who were
not able to enter this country legally.
These individuals are often terrified
about filling out the census. They are
afraid the information will be shared
with immigration services and that they,
or possibly a family member who lives
with them but does not have their ‘papers,’ may be tracked and reported as a
result of the information they provide.
Many others in our community fear
that the information will be turned over
to Homeland Security, legal services, the
housing authority, or other government
agencies. This is absolutely untrue.
The truth is that the Census Bureau
cannot share the information that you
fill out on the census form about yourself and your family with any other government agency. In fact, the information
that you and I put down on the census
cannot be made public or shared with
any other federal agency for another 72
years. For example, the information
from the 1940 census will only become
public in 2012.
The census’ sole purpose is so the
government can get an accurate count
of the number of people living in a community and in turn determine the appropriate amount of resources that community should get for education,
healthcare, police/fire/emergency services, sanitation, and infrastructure development. It also determines how congressional districts are drawn, and the
number of elected representatives from
that state to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Answering the census accurately
and making sure that all the members
of your household are counted will only
bring good things to our community. It
will only bring greater resources and
better representation.
For too long many who live in our
community—immigrants, Caribbeans,
blacks, Latinos—have been designated
as ‘hard-to-count’ populations. Communities like those in Central and North
Brooklyn. Like Flatbush, East Flatbush,
Crown Heights, Brownsville, East New
York, and Bushwick. Communities
peopled by immigrants and people of
color. This has cost New York hundreds
of millions, if not billions of dollars.
That loss means fewer services and less
representation.
This year we can and must do better. There is too much at stake. Fill out
the census. It takes ten minutes to answer ten questions. That adds up to a
whole lot of dollars and a much better
future for our children. It’s Our New
York. This time, Let’s Make Sure We’re
Counted.
If you need help with the form,
please contact the Caribbean American
Chamber of Commerce and Industry,
Inc. (CACCI) at (718) 287-1870, or visit
us at www.caccitradecenter.com. You
may also visit the NYS/CACCI Census
2010 Outreach and Mobilization Office
at the Flatbush Caton Market at 814
Flatbush Avenue at the corner of Caton
Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11226. Bilingual English, Spanish and French/Creole speaking outreach workers will be
available to help you 7 days a week.
You may also contact the NYS Census
offices
by
visiting
http://
census2010.ny.gov.
2010 Census Advertising Named Multicultural
and Best Branded Campaign of the Year
T
he U.S. Census Bureau is being recognized by
Mediaweek, a leading advertising industry trade
publication, for its 2010 Census advertising
campaign — winning both the “Best Multicultural
Campaign” and “Best Branded Content” awards in
the publication’s Media Plan of the Year competition.
The primary purpose of the advertising efforts were
to educate and motivate households to mail back their
2010 Census forms when they arrived in March —
more than 72 percent of America participated by mail,
matching the rate from the last census in 2000.
“The Census Bureau is pleased to be recognized
for our efforts to communicate the importance of participating in the 2010 Census in an unprecedented 28
languages and across all segments of the population,”
said Census Bureau spokesperson Stephen Buckner.
“The American public met the challenge and responded beyond expectations, despite a significantly
larger and harder-to-count population, and a continuing decline of participation in other surveys over the
last 10 years.”
The integrated 2010 Census outreach and promotional efforts brought together advertising, public relations, event support, Census in Schools, and social
media on a national and local basis covering every
market. The effort is the result of a close partnership
between the Census Bureau and Draftfcb New York,
which served as the lead agency of Team Census 2010,
a collaboration of 14 partner companies: GlobalHue,
GlobalHue Latino, D’Exposito & Partners, Allied,
G&G, IW Group, Plum, Weber Shandwick, Jack
Morton, Scholastic, Allied, Initiative, and Draftfcb
Puerto Rico.
The advertising portion of the campaign resulted
in more than 400 ads seen across all media — television, radio, print, out-of-home, digital, cinema, social
media, events and sponsorships. Extensive research
and input from internal and external stakeholders were
integral in the development of the various campaign
elements.
“When you think about how diverse this country
is and the many different cultures and languages found
here, targeting literally everyone living in America is
no easy task,” said Bhavana Smith, vice president,
group media director at Draftfcb New York. “We’re
thrilled to see that the industry has recognized such
an undertaking.”
Mediaweek’s annual competition celebrates the
most innovative, original and effective plans of the
year. The publication is hosting a special awards luncheon to honor all the recipients June 16 in New York
City.
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