Updated: February 1, 2017

LSA Family Health Service stands with immigrants, refugees and people of all faiths, and supports national and local policies that preserve and protect the rights of immigrant families.  LSA will continue to provide Health & Wellness programs and Family Support services without regard to immigration status.  We are committed to the families of East Harlem. We are friends and neighbors, and we work together to make the community better for everyone regardless of country of origin, religion, or ethnicity.  

November 11, 2016

Dear Friend,

Elections, by their very nature, create uncertainty about the future.  For the families LSA serves, the vast majority of them first or second generation immigrants, the uncertainty they live with every day is now amplified.

LSA Family Health Service is uniquely positioned to address this heightened uncertainty.  We are located in a largely immigrant neighborhood, and our history has been one of meeting the unique needs of this population.  Our Parenting and Child Development program is, in essence, an immigrant socialization program for young families, our Advocacy/Food Pantry program offers assistance with benefits access and legal problems, and our Home Nursing and Environmental Health programs provide essential health services regardless of status.

Because of our expertise, location, and mission, we are going to double-down on services.

We are focusing our efforts to make sure these services continue at this critical point.  And we are reaching out to our clients and community to let them know that we stand steadfastly with them, and are prepared to help and support them in any way we can, as we always have.

In New York City, the positive impact immigrants have made in the last 40 years is profound.  According to the Americas Society and Council of the Americas (AS/COA)*:

• Crime tends to fall faster in precincts receiving more immigrants. For every 1 percent increase in a precinct’s population due to immigration, an average of 966 fewer crimes are committed each year.

•  Immigration is responsible for reversing New York City’s population decline, helping the economy to thrive once again. Without the immigrants that arrived since 1980, the city’s property tax base would be $500 billion lower than it is today.

• Immigrants are contributing to the personal wealth of city homeowners. The roughly 2 million immigrants who have arrived in New York since the 1980s are responsible for a $188 billion boost to home equity citywide.

At LSA, the immigrants we know are parents who go without in order to provide for their children. They work 12, 15, 18 hours a day at the lowest paying jobs, in order to provide their children the best opportunity for the future they can give. They come to us eager to contribute to the greater society, and we welcome them with open doors.

To our extended family of volunteers, partners and supporters:

We reaffirm our commitment to protecting the health, well-being and safety of immigrant families that contribute so much to New York City.  We will continue to support them as they pursue the American dream.

Sincerely,

Reada Bunin Edelstein
CEO