LinkNYC-led event provided turkeys and food boxes for 300 families in East Flatbush
Assemblymember Chandler-Waterman and rapper Busta Rhymes promoted mental health resources for local community members
NEW YORK, NY – LinkNYC, in partnership with Assemblymember Monique Chandler-Waterman, IAmWondaWoman, East Flatbush Village Inc., and rapper Busta Rhymes today hosted a Thanksgiving food drive at P.S. 135 in East Flatbush, distributing more than 300 turkeys and food boxes with fresh produce, canned goods, and essentials to local families. Community members participated in mental health workshops that raised awareness of seasonal depression, gun violence trauma, and free community resources. P.S. 135 alumnus and rapper Busta Rhymes performed and met with East Flatbush residents to help promote the importance of mental health care.
“LinkNYC remains a critical resource for our most vulnerable neighbors to access free mental health and family well-being services,” said Nick Colvin, CEO of LinkNYC. “Especially during the holiday season, our network empowers community members across the five boroughs to connect with food pantries, shelters, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline 24/7.”
“We are excited about this collaboration with LinkNYC and other community partners to offer vital resources to support families’ mental health needs and address food insecurity,” said Assemblywoman Chandler-Waterman. “In addition to our ongoing strategic partnership with LinkNYC to highlight the program’s 988 lifeline feature, the AD 58 Mental Health Taskforce will continue to expand access to wrap-around services that heal our communities and fight stigma around mental health.”
LinkNYC’s citywide network of more than 2,200 kiosks and Link5G smart poles feature direct-dial access to the state’s 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. According to The State of Mental Health of New Yorkers published earlier this year by the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene, 24% of city teens said they needed or wanted mental health care but did not get it over the past 12 months.
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About LinkNYC
LinkNYC is the world’s largest and fastest free public Wi-Fi network. Each Link kiosk provides free superfast Wi-Fi, phone calls, device charging, access to social services, and displays content such as real-time weather, transit info, public art, and local information. The city-wide network has more than 17 million Wi-Fi users and has connected more than 30 million free phone calls. All of LinkNYC’s services are completely free to users and taxpayers, provided by CityBridge, a joint venture led by Intersection Media and Boldyn Networks. The second generation offering will deploy thousands of new kiosks, called Link5G, enabled with 5G wireless technology across the city. For more information about LinkNYC or to find a Link near you, visit www.link.nyc.