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RECOGNIZING URBAN UPBOUND
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HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY
of new york
in the house of representatives
Friday, October 21, 2022
Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York. Madam Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Urban Upbound for eighteen years of dedicated service to the Queens community. Urban Upbound is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing Queens public housing residents with economic mobility and increased self-sufficiency.
Urban Upbound was founded in 2004 by Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor and Debra-Ellen Glickstein to serve the residents of public housing across many areas of Queens, including Astoria, Woodside, and Far Rockaway. Urban Upbound serves the community through a variety of programs designed to provide low-income residents the tools they need to succeed. Its financial counseling program helps people tackle debt, budget incomes, and save money.
The organization founded the Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union, the first credit union founded in Queens in the last 30 years. By offering low fees, rates, and flexible loan policies, Urban Upbound Federal Credit Union has saved its members hundreds of thousands of dollars. Most of all, the credit union encourages NYCHA residents to open bank accounts in a community where many do not have access to mainstream banks and face additional hurdles to securing a bank account. Urban Upbound has also helped over 25,000 residents prepare their taxes and file returns, helping them secure more than $25 million in tax refunds. Through this work, Urban Upbound promotes long-term asset building and provides economic mobility to the community.
Urban Upbound's efforts extend beyond financial aid. The organization provides college counseling through SAT prep courses and advising, which has led to a 95 percent college placement rate for residents enrolled in the pre-college program. The heavy emphasis Urban Upbound places on the importance of education signals its commitment to the generational growth and success of its neighborhoods.
Urban Upbound also provides employment services, helps create and polish resumes, conducts mock interviews, and provides career counseling, which has helped approximately 1,800 clients secure employment. When it comes to helping residents achieve their goals of a better life, Urban Upbound truly is a champion for the residents of public housing.
Urban Upbound is hosting a gala to honor its eighteen years of service with the appropriate theme ``Celebrating Success.'' This year's festivities mark a return to in-person celebrations following the COVID-19 Pandemic, during which Urban Upbound provided the community with resource assistance. As a partner in New York City's COVID-19 Take Care Initiative, Urban Upbound helped individuals throughout the Queens NYCHA community find recovery care, practice quarantine protocols, and secure basic needs such as food, medicine, and laundry. This year's gala celebrates in the triumphant resilience of Urban Upbound and the community it proudly serves.
Madam Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the outstanding work of Urban Upbound. For eighteen years, Urban Upbound has worked to help break the cycle of poverty and create a positive impact on low-income communities.
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SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 166(1), Congressional Record Vol. 168, No. 166(2)
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