coronavirus new york city

Tiempo: Helping immigrant communities hardest hit by COVID-19

ByEyewitness News WABC logo

Sunday, May 31, 2020

Javier Valdes, co-executive director of 'Make the Road New York' appears on Tiempo

NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- On this episode of Tiempo, a call for federal funding to help immigrant communities hardest hit by the coronavirus in our area.

We have learned more about the hardest hit areas by the virus and several of those neighborhoods where so many Latino immigrant families live.

In Corona Queens, it seems like everyone knows someone who died from the virus.

The economic toll is taken is unimaginable.

'Make the Road New York,' a community-based organization that we've had on Tiempo many times, has lost 67 members to the virus since the pandemic began.

They want state and city leaders to act on a proposed $3.5 billion workers fund that would help so many families in dire need of financial help.

We spoke to Javier Valdes, co-executive director of 'Make the Road New York.'

Plus, a Dominican artist has a unique approach to help us all get through the pandemic.

He painted a gigantic mural of an "enfermera con rolos' -- a nurse with hair rollers on the wall of a hospital in Manhattan.

It's a tribute to the healthcare workers on the frontlines.

He's also made t-shirts with the image and he donates 30-percent of the proceeds to the COVID-19 emergency relief fund, which supports health care workers, local businesses and displaced hourly workers.

Plus, "lucha vs el virus"... It's a PSA campaign to help underscore the importance of wearing masks while cities and states are re-opening.

The campaign uses the "lucha libra" Mexican wrestling world to convey the message: "the one who takes off the mask loses the fight."

They've also designed mask filters for social media to encourage social networks to stay in the fight.

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