Community Groups Cheer the Success of the IDNYC card program

East Harlem, NY – City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Council Member Daniel Dromm, and Immigration Chair Carlos Menchaca, today celebrated the opening of the IDNYC enrollment center in East Harlem. This permanent site is an addition to the many enrollment centers throughout the city that continue to help New Yorkers sign up for the highly coveted official city identification card. Also joining the Speaker and Council Members were Nisha Agarwal, Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, Cynthia Lopez, Commissioner for the Office of Media and Entertainment, Alice Knight, from the Union Street Settlement, Norma Bales a parent whose children attend Little Sisters of the Assumption, and students from Park East High School.

“Since the launch of IDNYC, the response to this program has been overwhelming and its benefits are tenfold,” said Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito. “The opening of this enrollment center in my district is testament to the need and the demand of this identification card and I couldn’t be more excited to have this permanent site in East Harlem. This is a card for all New Yorkers and I encourage those who haven’t yet signed up for this program, to do so. I thank my colleagues for their support in this process and thank the Administration for its partnership in making IDNYC a reality for all New Yorkers.”

Since the launch of this program in January 2015, there have been over 100,000 IDNYC cards issued at over a dozen enrollment and pop-up centers throughout the five boroughs. The East Harlem enrollment center will be open 7 days a week until the end of the year.

The IDNYC program was created by the Council through legislation sponsored by Council Members Daniel Dromm and Carlos Menchaca, Chair of the Committee on Immigration. The IDNYC card offers a secure and formal identification card to anyone living within the five boroughs. Card holders are eligible for a wide variety of benefits including discounted movie theater tickets, access to the city’s three major library systems, free admission to the city’s cultural institutions for a year and prescription drug discounts through Big Apple Rx. IDNYC will also serve as a valid form of ID for 10 financial institutions.

“IDNYC’s popularity has necessitated finding new enrollment centers around the city so that more New Yorkers can easily apply,” said Council Member Daniel Dromm, lead sponsor of the IDNYC legislation. “This new East Harlem center will allow even more people to have their application processed and receive a New York City identification card for the first time! By bringing IDNYC enrollment centers to different neighborhoods around the city, Speaker Mark-Viverito is ensuring access to people who need it the most.”

“The continued expansion of IDNYC speaks to the power of this program to influence the direction of our City toward greater inclusion. This latest opening in East Harlem is another instance where an immigrant rich community is going to have greater connectivity to the resources that our City has to offer—including so many recreational options for the upcoming summer. Even six months after launch, this Council is unwavering in its commitment to the success of IDNYC and will continue to offer opportunities for the growth of the program,” said Carlos Menchaca, Chair of Committee on Immigration.

“Speaker Mark-Viverito is a champion for immigrant rights and for IDNYC,” said Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Nisha Agarwal. “We are thrilled to partner with her to launch this new enrollment site in East Harlem, which is part of the City’s overall expansion of IDNYC given extraordinary demand for the card. Appointments are available today at sites throughout the city, including this one. Don’t wait – make an appointment today.”

“As a Jackson Heights resident, access to local theatre and cultural organizations has always been vital to my development,” said Commissioner Cynthia López, Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment. “IDNYC means all New Yorkers have the opportunity to be inspired and entertained by artists and performers at sites like Museum of the Moving Image and the Public Theater. The IDNYC Entertainment Deals also enables New Yorkers to receive discount deals for movie tickets and Broadway shows.”
Appointments for East Harlem IDNYC enrollment center can be made by walking in at the location at 162 ½ East 104th Street Monday-Friday from 9:00am-8:00pm and Saturday and Sunday from 10:00am-6:00pm. For more information about IDNYC and how to sign up for an appointment, please visit www.nyc.gov/idnyc
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