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Neighborhood Notes: Free Immigration Service

Insurance Help
Free insurance enrollment help is available at NYC Health + Hospitals/North Central Bronx, 3424 Kossuth Ave., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the following dates: June 21, 22, 28 and 29. For more information, call 311.

New Social Security Cards
New replacement Social Security cards can be now obtained by going to www.socialsecurity.gov/myaccount. The new cards will no longer include the Social Security number to further protect privacy. For more detailed information, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/ssnumber_.

Free Immigration Service
West Bronx Housing, 220 E. 204th St., provides free basic immigration services. They offer application assistance for citizenship, permanent residence Green Card applications, renewals, and other basic services. Clients can bring an interpreter, if necessary. For more information, call (718) 798-0929 to make an appointment and to answer your immigration questions.

Excelsior Scholarship
Applications for the Excelsior Scholarship are now open for new applicants pursuing a college degree at city- or state-funded colleges/universities for the 2018-19 academic year. Eligible candidates must be New York State residents, take 30 credits per year (including summer and winter sessions), a family whose annual household income is below $110,000, and be on track to graduate on time with an associate’s degree in two years or a bachelor’s degree in four years. Applications will be accepted through July 23. For more information, and to apply, go to https://www.hesc.ny.gov/excelsior/.

Bird Walks
Free bird walk tours with guides provided by the New York City Audubon Society and Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy, are scheduled for every Saturday through July 21 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at the Van Cortlandt Park Conservancy. Meet at the VC Nature Center. For more information, contact Joseph McManus at mcmanus638@aol.com. 

Commercial Lease Help
Northwest Bronx Community & Clergy Coalition offers free legal help to small businesses in negotiating commercial leases with their landlords. Businesses have to be in New York City, must be non-franchise, have a household income below 500 percent of the federal poverty guideline, and have a new or renewal lease. For more information, contact Evy Viruet at (718) 584-0515 ext. 100.

Rent Freeze Programs
University Neighborhood Housing Program offers assistance in applying for a rent freeze through the state SCRIE/DRIE programs. Eligible applicants must be at least 62 years old, have someone in their house at least 62 years old, or disabled (receiving SSI/SSD benefits). Sessions are available Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Refuge House, 2715 Bainbridge Ave. (corner of East 196th Street). For more information and to RSVP, call (718) 933-2539.

Naloxone Availability
Individuals with prescription health insurance coverage, including Medicaid and Medicare, can receive up to $40 in co-payment coverage for naloxone. This medicine is used to reverse opioid overdoses. Uninsured New Yorkers and those with no prescription coverage can get naloxone for free through New York’s network of registered opioid overdose prevent programs. A listing of pharmacies accepting the new health insurance coverage can be found at https://a816-healthpsi.nyc.gov/NYCHealthMap.

BronxNet Workshops
Residents can sign up for hands-on training workshop in video production using professional equipment and studios. Certification provides producers with access to broadcast time on BronxNet channels. The summer 2018 training cycle begins on July 9. To register, go to www.bronxnet.org or email training@bronxnet.org for more information.

Community Reinvestment Act Forum
A forum analyzing the history of the 1977 Community Reinvestment Act, the federal law that continues to help revitalize the Bronx today takes place at Serviam Gardens, the Building A Theatre, 323 E. 198th St., on June 28 from 8:30 to 11:00 a.m. Registration is required through Eventbrite at http://bit.ly/2tc4MzV.

 

Welcome to the Norwood News, a bi-weekly community newspaper that primarily serves the northwest Bronx communities of Norwood, Bedford Park, Fordham and University Heights. Through our Breaking Bronx blog, we focus on news and information for those neighborhoods, but aim to cover as much Bronx-related news as possible. Founded in 1988 by Mosholu Preservation Corporation, a not-for-profit affiliate of Montefiore Medical Center, the Norwood News began as a monthly and grew to a bi-weekly in 1994. In September 2003 the paper expanded to cover University Heights and now covers all the neighborhoods of Community District 7. The Norwood News exists to foster communication among citizens and organizations and to be a tool for neighborhood development efforts. The Norwood News runs the Bronx Youth Journalism Heard, a journalism training program for Bronx high school students. As you navigate this website, please let us know if you discover any glitches or if you have any suggestions. We’d love to hear from you. You can send e-mails to norwoodnews@norwoodnews.org or call us anytime (718) 324-4998.

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