Dear Friends and Neighbors, April is Financial Literacy Month, and I was pleased to join Comptroller DiNapoli and Senator Comrie at Next Gen Personal Finance's Screening of "The Most Important Class You Never Had" documentary watch party and panel discussion. We gathered to celebrate with an amazing community of financial education leaders and watch the stories of 8 educators from across the country. I was the lead sponsor of a Consumer Financial Literacy bill, now law, requiring the New York State Department of Financial Services to provide, on the department's website, information to enhance consumer financial literacy and consumer awareness. I am also sponsoring legislation to better prepare students grades 9-12 who will become future consumers by requiring school districts to provide instruction on setting financial goals, developing a budget, basic banking services, investment tools, interest rates and more. As a member of the Assembly Education Committee and as a parent of two public school graduates, I understand the importance of instituting instruction which would empower students to be better informed consumers. Join us for one of the events that I am pleased to sponsor: Tuesday, April 20 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm (**new time**) on Facebook live and Zoom- Town Hall Tuesday: Celebrating Earth Day RSVP here. Thursday, April 22- Upper East Side Community Blood Drive. To schedule an appointment, contact Joe Licata at 212-639-8177 or email [email protected]. Thursday, April 22 from 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm at the District Office of Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright, 1485 York Avenue (78/79 Streets)- No-Cost Face Covering Giveaway. RSVP here. Thursday, April 22 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Zoom- Virtual Knitting Social. RSVP here. Tuesday, April 27 at 2:00 pm by telephone- No-Cost Housing Legal Clinic. RSVP here. Stay safe, wash your hands frequently, keep your social distance, and wear your face-covering! Please don't hesitate to reach out to our community office if we can be of assistance. Phone: 212.288.4607 Email: [email protected] Sincerely, Seawright Awards $500,000 to PS 183 Playground Renovations Funded On Tuesday, Assembly Member Seawright toured the playground with the parents and school leadership of PS183 and presented a check for $500,000 for renovations to their playground. "Proud to announce that I awarded Principal Woodard with $ 500,000 for the reconstruction of the playground at PS183. Thank you to Principal Martin Woodard, Assistant Principal Kim Banks, Parent Coordinator LuAnn Propper, PTA Co-Pres. Shannon Berkowsky, PTA Co-Pres. Tracy Avin and SLT Pres. Michael Ekstract for your commitment to our students and their families," said Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright. As Featured On... Manhattan assemblywoman fights to define ‘consent,’ has support of Weinstein accusers Manhattan Assembly Member Rebecca Seawright is introducing legislation to make New York the first state in the country to legally define “consent.” Currently, there is no definition in New York’s penal code. Assembly Bill A6540 defines consent as “freely given knowledgeable and informed agreement.” Consent must be obtained “without the use of malice such as forcible compulsion, duress, coercion, deception, fraud, concealment or artifice.” “We don’t want to leave that definition for juries to have to grapple with,” explained Seawright. “We want to actually define it in the penal code so that we know what it means.” View full coverage here. Seawright Speaks on Financial Literacy Legislation Signed into Law Join Us For Virtual Town Hall Tuesday RSVP for the Earth Day Town Hall Tuesday and submit a question for the speakers here. View the program on Facebook Live here. COVID-19 Vaccination Information The CDC and the FDA issued a statement recommending a pause in the use of the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine out of an abundance of caution. New York State will follow the CDC and FDA recommendation and pause the use of the J&J vaccine statewide while the federal government evaluates next steps. As the CDC and FDA stated, these adverse events "appear to be extremely rare." Six people who have received the J&J vaccine in the U.S. developed blood clots. The reason for the pause is to make sure all health care providers can identify the symptoms and treat patients with the correct medical protocol. But the context—six people reported with a problem out of 6.8 million who received the vaccine—is important to remember. While health care providers are notified and the federal government reviews the situation fully, New York State will continue to administer the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which are completely unaffected by this pause and which make up the vast majority of our supply. This week, New York City launched a new mobile vaccination effort to reach the most underserved New Yorkers. The first bus is taking vaccines on the road with a focus on reaching restaurant workers and delivery workers. Relief Opportunities for All Restaurants (ROAR) will lead outreach efforts to restaurant workers, helping them sign up for appointments ahead of time and on site. Vans will have live interpretation on site and vaccine materials in 12 languages. Restaurant and delivery workers can schedule appointments by emailing [email protected], or by calling 1-833-ROAR-NYC (1- 833-762-7692). All New Yorkers 16 years and older are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine.L earn more here. Seniors 75+ do not need an appointment if they walk in to the following vaccination sites in Manhattan: (Bring a companion and they are eligible too!) Essex Crossing 224B Broome Street, 10002 Thursday- Sunday, 12pm-4pm City College 1549 Amsterdam Avenue, 10031 Thursday- Sunday, 12pm-4pm Ford Foundation 320 East 43 Street, 10017 Monday- Saturday, 9am-5pm Yeshiva University 2495 Amsterdam Avenue, 10033 Sunday-Thursday, 9am-7pm Friday, 9am-5pm Abyssinian Baptist Church 132 West 138 Street, 10030 Tuesday- Saturday, 9am-5pm Fulton Community Center/Hudson Guild 441 West 26 Street, 10001 Tuesday- Saturday, 10am-5pm See how Excelsior Pass can help you be a part of NY's safe reopening. To help revitalize New York's economy safely, the State launched Excelsior Pass—a free and voluntary platform for businesses & individuals that can be used to easily access secure proof of a recent negative COVID test or vaccination. Learn more. Visit the New York State Vaccine Site Locator Call 1-833-NYS-4-VAX (1-833-697-4829) or Visit the New York City Vaccine Site Locator Call 877-VAX-4NYC (877-829-4692 Vaccination Sites in the 76th Assembly District: AdvantageCare Physicians - 215 East 95th Street, Manhattan, 10128 Lenox Hill Hospital - Einhorn Auditorium- 131 East 76th Street, Manhattan, 10021(844) 919-8222 Rite Aid Pharmacy 1535 2nd Avenue, Manhattan, 10075 Site only serves those age 50 and older and/or P-12 school faculty and staff and childcare workers and/or those with eligible underlying conditions Walgreens/Duane Reade ​Sites only serves those age 50 and older and/or P-12 school faculty and staff and childcare workers and/or those with eligible underlying conditions (800) 925-4733 1524 2nd Avenue, Manhattan, 10075 1328 2nd Avenue, Manhattan, 10021 401 East 86th Street, Manhattan, 10028 1111 3rd Avenue, Manhattan, 10065 1498 York Avenue, Manhattan, 10075 Fully homebound New Yorkers who wish to receive an in-home vaccination: Please click here or call 877-829-4692. You will receive a phone call to confirm your eligibility and schedule the appointment; on that call, please also make sure to request in-home vaccination for other eligible household members (eligibility criteria listed here). Please note that there is high interest in this program -- you will receive a call back. The Vaccine for All Corps is enlisting 2,000 New Yorkers to support City vaccination efforts across the five boroughs. Hiring for the first tranche of these positions is live at nyc.gov/vaccinejobs. Healthcare experience is not required for many of the positions. Residents from NYC communities hit hardest by COVID-19 are especially invited to apply. Assistance with Pandemic-Related Funeral Expenses. FEMA has announced that it will provide financial assistance for COVID-19-related funeral expenses incurred after January 20, 2020. Additional guidance is being finalized and will be released as soon as possible. In the meantime, people who have COVID-19 funeral expenses are encouraged to keep and gather documentation. Please check FEMA's website regularly for updates. Veterans: VA New York Harbor is offering vaccinations to veterans 65 and older who are enrolled in VA Healthcare. Click here to learn more or call 1-877-877-9267. Transportation for Seniors to Vaccination Appointments New Yorkers age 65+ who make a vaccination appointment at a City-operated site will be asked if they need transportation to get to and from their appointment. Transportation is available if you:Have Access-a-Ride: (877) 337-20172. Have Medicaid-provided transportation: Use your regular contact number to schedule transport, or call (844) 666-6270. Are a homebound 65+ or disabled New Yorker who needs ambulette services: Call Hunter Ambulette at (718) 991-2211. Anyone 65 and older who does not qualify for 1-3 above can schedule a free ride with Curb at (646) 349-0289. Re-Opening Indoor dining is allowed to operate at 50% capacity in New York City, subject to strict state guidance, which can be found here. Guidance for Open Restaurants is posted on t h e DOT website and the Mayor’s Office of Counsel has updated itsp lain-language guidance for outdoor dining. Participants may submit questions about Open Restaurants to DOT at https://on.nyc.gov/2DlH4sT or call the SBS hotline at (888) SBS-4NYC.