Millions In Funding Coming To Wash Heights Orgs And Schools

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — Millions of dollars are coming to organizations, programs, and schools in Washington Heights after Rep. Adriano Espaillat secured $11.5 million in funding for Upper Manhattan's 13th Congressional District.

The funding from the congressman is broken up into different areas of Harlem, Washington Heights and the Bronx.

For Washington Heights, the money will go to supporting a community kitchen, a food pantry, a mental wellness corps from Columbia University, and a building within Yeshiva University.

Here are the details for each of the Washington Heights funding projects.

The funding will be used to build a new kitchen for the ARC XVI Fort Washington Senior Center, which is being relocated to 516 West 181st Street. For nearly 50 years, ARC has provided home-cooked meals from a community kitchen to older adults in the neighborhood.

CLOTH Food Pantry Reimagined: $740,000

The funding will be used to upgrade, expand, and re-engineer the food pantry provided by the Community League of the Heights. The new pantry will be a short-term emergency food-based distribution facility and a long-term center to tackle the root causes of food insecurity.

Columbia COVID-19 Northern Manhattan Community Wellness Corps: $750,000

In an effort to increase mental health care provided to Upper Manhattan, the funding will go to improving the "mental health disparity crisis" going on in Northern Manhattan and parts of the Bronx by "building capacity and increasing community employment opportunities, either directly or through addressing the community mental health needs," reads a news release from Espaillat's office.

Weisberg Commons renovation at Yeshiva University: $1,000,000

The funding will provide structural upgrades to the Upper Manhattan dorm building and modernize audiovisual equipment utilized in both academic and public-facing events, "extending the useful life of the space and providing an improved experience for visitors."

"I am incredibly pleased to vote for $11.5 million in Community Project Funding in this bill that I know will have a profound impact on New York's 13th district," Espaillat said in a news release. "These investments support underserved areas and foster economic development, making a real difference in the lives of many throughout our community.

The funding package is part of a piece of legislation that passed the Senate on Friday and will soon be signed into law by President Joe Biden.