10/29/12 9:35pm

Rescue Missions

grimm pasta (1)

Michael Grimm Is Busy Serving Emergency Ziti and Delivering Cots to Old Ladies

Staten Island Congressman Michael Grimm isn’t letting Hurricane Sandy slow him down.

“It’s a little crazy, I’ve been driving from one side of the island to another,” he told us over the telephone earlier tonight. “A 93 year-old woman who has breathing issues, she can’t lie flat in the shelter and they don’t have beds that incline. So they have them in the other shelter at the south part of the island, at Tottenville High School. And every which way I’ve been going, the streets have been down because of flooding or because of trees down. I’m driving, I’m just about there so I can bring back this cot.” Read More

By Colin Campbell 10/09/12 3:34pm

initiatives

i voted sticker

New York Takes Steps to Help the Homeless Vote

Election Day is coming up, and New York City wants everyone to vote–including residents who don’t have a permanent residence. Accordingly, New York City Campaign Finance Board is partnering with the Department of Homeless Services to make sure the city’s homeless population can help participate in the upcoming presidential election. Every day this week, Homeless Services will provide voting assistance at each of its 230 homeless facilities to encourage maximum electoral participation. Read More

By Colin Campbell 5:07pm

food fight

Bill de Blasio (Photo: Facebook)

De Blasio Is Not Cool With Bloomberg’s Homeless Shelter Food Policy [Update]

Mayor Michael Bloomberg has another critic over his administration’s decision to ban food from homeless shelters, because, as CBS reported, the city “can’t assess their salt, fat and fiber content.” Public Advocate Bill de Blasio announced his opposition while challenging the basic rationality of the plan in a statement this evening.

“While I generally give this Administration high marks on protecting public health, the decision to ban food donations from shelters defies common sense,” said Mr. de Blasio, who’s a leading contender for the mayor’s office himself in 2013. Read More