Our Mission
The Elmhurst Corona Recovery Collaborative (ECRC) was established to meet the needs of the Elmhurst and Corona communities that have been impacted by Covid-19. Our mission is to ensure that families have access to food and resources for jobs and financial security; pathways for community-anchored health and healing programs; and shared educational and cultural experiences designed to build resilience and support socio-emotional healing.
About Us
The Elmhurst Corona Recovery Collaborative (ECRC) consists of twenty-five local organizations working together to support our community as it recovers from the devastating toll of COVID-19. We are tackling areas of critical need, including mental health, immigrant rights, food security, and education.
The pandemic has disproportionately impacted the communities of Elmhurst and Corona, and the area was described as the national epicenter of the pandemic by the New York Times. In these largely immigrant and first-generation neighborhoods, the devastating health crisis is coupled with economic hardship. The sectors of NYC’s economy hardest hit by job losses—face-to-face services—rely heavily on immigrant workers, including those who are under-documented and will not benefit from federal relief.
Through this network, several cultural institutions have been operating as food distribution centers. Others are working with the Department of Education’s remote learning platforms to ensure students are connected to the classroom, offering mental health services, immigrants’ rights assistance, and other essential supports. Organizations participating in the ECRC have distributed tens of thousands of meals to families in the community.
Your support will help us provide funds to the organizations providing a deep and direct impact to help rebuild the community. Thank you!
Food and Economic Security
We are addressing food and economic insecurity in Elmhurst and Corona by 1) serving as a trusted resource center, 2) liaising with aligned organizations and elected offices, and 3) advocating for policies and initiatives that focus on effective, long-term solutions.
Health and Healing
We are working toward creating, a safe, human justice-centered resource for the community to assist through harm-reduction methods. We are creating pathways for individuals and families to heal through and past COVID-19 by providing spaces and resources for children, teens, and adults who have been traumatized by the pandemic.
Education and Community Welfare
We are working with local cultural institutions to provide both face-to-face and online educational programming for local children and families. Activities focus on social and emotional support, including art and STEM activities, virtual camps, and work with the local schools to support students facing learning loss.
Covid-19 Vaccine Townhall
ECRC Partners have been holding monthly virtual and in-person town halls focused on vaccines and community needs since February 2021. Each event is hosted by an ECRC partner institution and held alternately in English and Spanish. These have been viewed or attended by 1,591 people.
Elmhurst and Corona – once the epicenter of the pandemic – are now among the most vaccinated zip codes in New York City. For a list of local vaccine sites, click here or go to the vaccine finder site for Flu or Covid-19 vaccines throughout NYC.
February 17, 2022:
Children’s vaccines and mental health in times of COVID-19 (Español)
Hosted by the Queens Museum, New York-Presbyterian Queens, and Education Development Center
See the full video here: Vacunas Para Niños Town Hall
March 24, 2022:
Children’s vaccines and mental health in times of COVID-19 (English)
Hosted by the Queens Museum, New York-Presbyterian Queens, and Education Development Center
Attend via Facebook Live here (Link to come)
May 19, 2022 at 05:00pm:
Sharing Youth Voices: COVID-19 and Vaccine Town Hall (English)
Hosted by the NYSCI and Elmcor
Attend via Zoom or Facebook Live here
Partners
Non-profits involved with ECRC
- Asociacion Benefica Cultural Father Bellini
- Citizens’ Committee for Children (CCC)
- Community Board 4
- Commonpoint Queens
- Community School District 24
- Dominicano American Society of Queens
- Grameen Promotoras
- Elmcor
- Elmhurst Hospital
- Flushing Meadows Corona Park
- La Jornada
- Make the Road New York
- Mayor’s Community Affairs Unit
- New Life Community Development Corporation
- New York Hall of Science
- NewYork-Presbyterian Queens
- Our Lady of Sorrows Church
- Plaza del Sol Family Health Center
- Queens Botanical Garden
- Queens Economic Development Corporation
- Queens Community House
- Queens Memory Project
- Queens Museum
- Queens Night Market
- Queens Public Library
- Queens Theatre
- Queens Zoo
- Voces Latinas