12-09-2023 NEPCA Host FY25 Budget Feedback meeting for PHL City Budget Office
On 12/9/2023, the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association (NEPCA) hosted a FY25 Budget Feedback meeting for the PHL City Budget Office.
This meeting is customized for Chinese residents. NEPCA collected the following feedback.
---------------------------------
FY25 Budget Feedback/2025财年预算反馈
Northeast Philly Chinese Community additional inputs to the 12/9/2023 feedback meeting
费城东北部华人社区就2023年12月9日举办的2025财年预算反馈会议提出补充意见
Reported by: Mingchu Pearl Huynh/报告人：黄明珠（音译）
Phone: 267-423-3323/电话：267-423-3323
Email: Pearl.huynh@gmail.com/电子邮箱：Pearl.huynh@gmail.com
12/18/2023/日期：2023年12月18日
The following FY25 budget feedback inputs are collected and compiled by the Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association (NEPCA) voicing the needs of the underserved Chinese immigrant communities in the Mayfair neighborhood in Lower Northeast Philadelphia. (Although the dance sisters and senior spaces issues are unique to the local Chinese, the rest are also the needs of the residents in the area. )
针对 2025 财年预算，东北费城公益协会（NEPCA）搜集并整理了以下反馈意见。这些意见代表了费城东北部下城区梅菲尔区（Mayfair）未得到充分服务的华人移民群体的需求。尽管舞蹈姐妹团和老人活动空间的需求属于当地华人的特殊诉求，但其它诸多问题属于梅菲尔区居民的共同关切。
The order listed here ranges the priority of importance that addresses the immediate concerns that this community is facing:
下表按照重要程度从高到低，列出了该社区面临的迫切问题：
Supporting Details information:/详细信息：
Public Safety & Crime./公共安全与打击犯罪
Increase funding for law enforcement in the Mayfair neighborhood/为梅菲尔区执法提供更多资金
The Chinese usually being victims of robbery and racial hate crimes. Please increase safety in public parks/playgrounds in Mayfair and Oxford Circle where there is a high concentration of Chinese residents. The Chinese in the lower Northeast like to exercise and gather outdoors because there is no community activity center. However, public parks are not safe for them because many have been beaten up, robbed, thrown rocks or bottles at, or faced with race-based microaggressions and straight-up bullying by other racial individuals. Most cases were not reported to the police due to the language barrier and fear of retaliation. (by Coco Dance team, Phila Chinese Women Dance team). Furthermore, the Mayfair neighborhood has become very unsafe. Please increase police patrol at night. (by Mr. Guo).
鉴于华人在梅菲尔及牛津圆环地区（Oxford Circle）的公园和操场常遭遇抢劫和种族仇恨犯罪，建议增强地区的 安全措施。费城东北部没有社区活动中心，当地华人经常选择在这些场所进行锻炼和聚会，但这些地方存在安全 问题，很多人在此曾遭遇其他种族的殴打、抢劫、被投掷石块或瓶子，以及面临种族微歧视和霸凌等，由于语言 问题和担心报复，多数受害者未向警方报案（Coco 舞蹈团队和费城华人女子舞蹈团提出）。此外，梅菲尔地区 安全状况大为恶化，因此迫切需要增加夜间警察巡逻。（郭先生提出，人名音译)
Please improve safety in the subway. We have felt like risking our lives for getting robbed and killed while taking the subway. Homelessness in the subway and nearby subway stations on the Frankford Line scares riders away. (by WeChat member Queeny)
请提高地铁安全水平。乘坐地铁时，当地居民时常感觉可能遭遇抢劫和杀害的威胁。地铁和附近法兰克福 线路站点的无家可归者问题，也令乘客对乘坐地铁望而却步。（微信用户“王后”提出，网名音译）
2. Public spaces: Park, Rec Ctr, & library:/公共空间：公园、休闲中心与图书馆：
Please provide funding for a community outdoor recreational space, community activity centers, and a new community senior center in Mayfair./请增加资金投入，支持梅菲尔社区的户外休闲空间、社区活动中心的发展，并建设新的社区老年中心。
The Chinese dance sisters’ predicaments/华人舞蹈姐妹的困境：
There are about two hundred Chinese dance sisters participating in group dance exercises at open spaces at the Macy's Mall parking lot (2399 Cottman Avenue) and National Warehouse Liquidator (7101 Roosevelt Blvd) every morning on good weather days.
约两百名华人舞蹈姐妹在天气晴朗时，聚集于梅西商场（Macy's Mall）停车场（2399 Cottman Avenue）和全美仓库清仓处理行（National Warehouse Liquidator，7101 Roosevelt Blvd）的公共空地进行集体舞蹈。
Other dance sisters use the rebuilt Solis-Cohen Elementary School (7001 Horrocks St.) and Mayfair Elementary School Playground.
其他人则使用重建的索利斯-科恩小学（7001 Horrocks St.）与梅菲尔小学操场。
Hanging out at school grounds and strip mall spaces is considered safer than in public parks for the Chinese because there are security cameras and patrols. However, usage of the private open spaces is unauthorized and can be charged as trespassing, so the venue access is at the mercy of the property or store owners and could be stopped anytime. The dance groups have been chased away by some commercial property owners. The Mayfair Element School recently fenced up its school grounds, so a hundred dance sisters lost their vital dance exercise space. Indoor spaces at Mayfair Rec Center/Elementary School do not have much open slots for the sisters, and no Chinese language help to assist them with space reservations.
由于公园安全问题，华人舞蹈姐妹选择在配备有监控摄像头与巡逻的学校场地及商场空地活动。然而，这些私有空间的使用未获授权，存在非法入侵的风险，使用权可能随时被物业管理或店主终止。舞蹈团体已遭部分商业物业所有者驱逐。近期，梅菲尔小学围起校园，让百余舞蹈姐妹失去了重要的锻炼空间。梅菲尔娱乐中心、梅菲尔小学空间开放时间有限，且缺乏预订的中文语言协助。
Large outdoor recreational spaces are hard to find. The Chinese Dance sisters do not have dedicated space to exercise.
在该地区，找到宽敞的室外活动空间很困难，华人舞蹈姐妹团缺乏专属的锻炼场地。
Most of the dance members are low-income housewives who spend 1.5 hours daily exercising and socializing, then they go home to cook and take care of grandchildren. They speak no English and can only go to gathering places within walking distance from home. They cannot afford to rent formal group exercise facilities, and low cost option is not available in their neighborhood. At least five hundred Chinese housewives are enrolled in dance groups in Mayfair, and half of them regularly participate in dance exercises. NEPCA knows five organized dance teams, and several additional small groups have been formed recently. (by NEPCA)
这些舞蹈团成员主要是低收入的家庭主妇，她们每天花1.5小时进行锻炼与社交，随后回家做饭、照顾孙辈。她们不通英语，只能徒步前往住所附近区域机会。对她们而言，租赁正式集体锻炼场所的费用高不可攀，社区内也缺乏经济实惠的选择。在梅菲尔区，至少有五百名华人家庭主妇参加了舞蹈团体，其中一半成员经常参与舞蹈锻炼。东北费城公益协会了解到，目前已有五个组织完善的舞蹈队伍，以及近期成立的几个小团体。（东北费城公益协会提出）
Proposed solutions:/拟定解决方案：
NEPCA proposed two solutions below to create activity spaces for the Mayfair communities:
东北费城工业协会提议为在梅菲尔区打造活动空间，东北费城公益协会提出以下两个解决方案：
Provide incentive programs such as tax breaks or grants in government policies to encourage commercial and public entities to share space with residents to provide free or low-cost exercise space.
通过税收减免和补助等政府政策，鼓励商业机构与公共团体，提供免费或低成本的锻炼空间，同当地居民共享 空间。
Provide funding to let the Mayfair Rec Center/playground/elementary school, and Solis-Cohen Elementary schools share their facilities with the community in the evening and two-day weekends, so they can offer free and low-cost community activity venue, reducing bureaucracy in space reservation, providing support to local organizations to run program services for all residents, and providing exercise space for Chinese exercise groups. In other words, adds purpose to the schools to serve as community activity centers to increase happiness for underserved residents.
需增加资金支持，使梅菲尔娱乐中心、操场、小学及索利斯-科恩小学在傍晚及周末两天与社区共享设施，提供 免费或低成本的活动场所，简化繁琐的场所预订流程，助力当地组织为社区居民提供服务，为华人锻炼团体提供锻炼空间。换言之，拓展学校功能，使其成为社区活动中心，为服务不足的群体带来更多幸福与便利。
The seniors’ predicaments:/老人的困境：
The Mayfair neighborhood desperately needs a Community Senior Center that includes Chinese language and culture programs to bring happiness and quality of life to the underserved low and middle-income.
梅菲尔社区急需建设一所社区老人中心，提供中国语言和文化项目等，提升中低收入老年人的幸福感和生活质量。
Every morning, there are 10 to 20 Chinese senior men hanging out at the 6800 block of Bustleton Avenue to play chess on the sidewalk, and 30 to 50 senior men hang out at Macy's parking lot (2399 Cottman Avenue) to shoot the breeze, while their wives do group dancing exercise nearby. These seniors should have a safe indoor community center to spend time with their friends and shelter from the elements. (by NEPCA)
每日清晨，大约 10 至 20 名华裔老年男性会在 6800 Bustleton 大道一带下棋，30至50名年长的老年男性则聚集在梅西商场停车场（2399 Cottman Avenue）聊天，他们的妻子在附近进行舞蹈锻炼。这群老人需要一个安全的室内社区中心，以便与朋友相聚共度美好时光，同时避免恶劣天气的影响。（东北费城公益协会提出）
Northeast Regional Library (NER)/费城东北区域图书馆
Please include it in the city FY25 budget to renovate NER. In addition, include in the plan providing temporary library services to its patrons when NER were closed for renovation. (by NEPCA)
请将费城东北区域图书馆的改造工程列入市政府 2025 财年预算，并在图书馆闭馆翻新期间为读者提供临 时服务。（东北费城公益协会提出）
The Northeast Regional Library (NER) plays an important role in the lives of thousands of low-income families in Northeast Philadelphia. NER opens five weekdays a week. According to Library staff,
对费城东北部众多低收入家庭而言，费城东北区域图书馆至关重要。该图书馆每周开放五天，据图书馆工作人员统计：
there are about 200 to 300 patrons visit the library daily;
图书馆日均迎接200至300名访客；
50% of patrons use the children department;
其中50%使用儿童区；
30 - 35% are Chinese; Other ethnic groups such as Hispanic, Arabic, Russian, Romanian, etc. make up the differences. Monthly, NER serves about 5,000 to 6,000 patrons.
30-35%的访客为华裔；其他种族包括西班牙裔、阿拉伯裔、俄罗斯裔、罗马尼亚裔等。每月服务约5000至6000名读者。
NER may be the only free place where low-income families in the vicinity can take their children to learn. The library also provides free space for community organizations to run free program services. It plays a very important role in the lower Northeast community. However, the library is not in good shape, everything is outdated and not working well. The library has to close for a few weeks every year because the HVAC system breaks down.
对于周边的低收入家庭而言，费城东北区域图书馆可能是儿童唯一可用的免费学习场所。此外，图书馆还提供免费空间，供社区组织提供免费服务。这座位于费城东北部下城区的图书馆具有重要价值。然而，图书馆目前状况堪忧，设施老化、故障频频，每年因供暖、通风和空调系统故障需关闭数周。
According to library staff, the HVAC needs to be replaced. Visitors can see wallpaper peeling off the walls, trims, and molding at the stage, and customer counters falling apart. Furniture is outdated, and many are broken. Network cables, internet bandwidth, and equipment are inadequate for running classes and program services that need
Wi-fi. The flooring is so old... In other words, the NER needs an entire facelift.
图书馆工作人员表示，需要更换暖通空调系统。读者能看到，图书馆墙纸剥落、台角装饰边条损坏、接待台破旧，家具过时且多处损坏。网络、带宽和设备不足，Wi-fi无法支持网课学习和其它网络服务。地板也已老化……总之，费城东北区域图书馆亟需全面翻新。
In the past five years, the Health Center 10 next door was renovated, the Roosevelt Mall across the street has been revitalized, and the Cottman streetscape project will be implemented soon right at its front door, the Northeast Library seems to be forgotten from the revitalizing progress of its surroundings. Furthermore, NER has the highest number of visitors compared to other branches in the Northeast. While the Taconic Library has been renovated to be modernized and elegant, the Lawncrest Library is under renovation, but NER is lagging behind in getting attention to facility updates. It did not even get the budget for staff to open at the weekend to answer the requests of many parents. The needs of its six thousand patrons have been overlooked!
过去五年间，邻近的第十健康中心（Health Center 10）得到了翻新，对面的罗斯福购物中心（Roosevelt Mall）也焕然一新，科特曼街景观项目（Cottman streetscape）即将在图书馆门前展开，然而，周边设施更新的项目中，似乎忽略了费城东北区域图书馆。尽管该馆的访客量超过东北区的其他分馆，塔孔尼图书馆（Taconic Library）已翻新，变得现代雅致，劳克雷斯特图书馆（Lawncrest Library）也在进行翻新，但费城东北区域图书馆的设施更新却停滞不前，甚至缺乏周末开放的预算，无法满足众多家长的需求。六千名读者的需求就这样被置之不顾！
Education & Youth Concern/教育与青少年关怀
Providing a safe community activity space and implementing multi-culture activities for Youth.
为青少年提供安全的社区活动空间，举行多元文化活动。
There is an urgent need to provide community activity centers for youth with after-school programs that include multi-cultural activities; and create a safe space for youth groups to exchange ethnic culture, customs, and traditions…It will help promote cultural awareness and mutual understanding, encouraging mutual respect in multicultural communities and creating a harmonious, safe environment for our children and families. ( by Sue Zhang)
迫切需要为青少年提供社区活动中心，开展多元文化活动等课后活动；需要创造安全空间，让青年团体交流各自的民族文化、习俗和传统。这将有助于提升文化意识，增进相互理解，鼓励多元文化社区内的互相尊重，为孩子和家庭创造和谐安全的环境。（张苏提出，人名音译）
Quality & accessible City services & infrastructure/优质便捷的城市服务与基础设施
Please increase tree maintenance to the City's trees on the sidewalks. Many trees need bad branch pruning or cutting down to be safe. In a real case, Mrs. Meiru Ren has called 311 at least 10 times and put in a request to cut a bad tree branch near her home, but nothing was done. This tree branch fell in a storm causing power loss to a hundred residents. Furthermore, removing a rotten tree on my block took the City five years. In between, the falling branches had damaged two neighbor's cars. (by Meiru Ren & Pearl Huynh)
请加强对城市人行道树木的维护工作。许多树木急需修剪危险枝条或进行砍伐，以确保公共安全。事实上，任美茹女士（Meiru Ren）至少拨打了 10 次 311 热线，请求修剪其家附近的一条危险树枝，但诉求一直未得到满 足。最终，这条树枝在一场风暴中坠落，导致百余位居民停电。此外，市政府用了五年时间才移除了本街区的一 棵腐烂树木，在此期间，坠落的树枝损坏了两辆邻居的汽车。（任美茹与黄珍珠提出，人名音译）
More funding is needed for regularly cleaning and maintaining furniture in subway stations, especially at the Arrott Transportation Center. (by WeChat member Queeny)
需要更多资金定期清理和维护地铁站内的设施，尤其是阿罗特交通中心（Arrott Transportation Center）等重要 地点。（微信用户“王后”提出，网名音译）
Community-led solutions & empowerment./社区主导的解决方案与赋权
Easy access to grants for small community organizations that provide services to the local immigrant communities.
为服务本地移民社区的小型组织提供便捷的补助支持。
Many local small organizations have stepped up to provide solutions for their underserved immigrant communities, but it is not easy for them to apply for grants, because the grant process requires connection to information, specialty knowledge in grant writing, and cumbersome accounting auditing support. Please provide grants and simplify the grant process which would make it more accessible and manageable for small organizations./许多本地小型组织已积极为服务不足的移民社区提出解决方案，但它们在申请资助遇到难题，原因在于申请资助需要信息获取、掌握专业的资助申请知识，以及获得繁琐的会计审计支持。因此，请为这些组织提供资助，简化申请流程，让小型组织得到资助的过程方便且快捷。
Chinese translation by courtesy of Translators for Elders (TFE); Website https://translatorsforelders.org/
Comments
Post a Comment