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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Mohammad Razvi, Executive Director and Founder of Council of Peoples Organization (COPO)
3:07:08
ยท
153 sec
Mohammad Razvi, representing the Council of Peoples Organization (COPO), testifies about the importance of DFTA funding for their Halal Senior Center and Meals on Wheels program. He emphasizes the growing needs of the senior community, particularly among immigrant populations, and urges continued support and increased funding for DFTA programs.
- COPO runs possibly the only and largest Muslim Halal Senior Center, serving about 45,000 clients annually in Brooklyn
- They established the first halal Meals on Wheels program in the country, growing from 60 to over 1,300 seniors
- Razvi highlights the unique challenges faced by immigrant seniors who didn't plan for retirement in the U.S.
Mohammad Razvi
3:07:08
Thank you Chairwoman.
3:07:10
My name is Mohammad Razvi and I run the possibly the only and the largest Muslim Halal Senior Center.
3:07:18
We actually service clients in Brooklyn and we service we're a one stop shop.
3:07:25
We also not just service seniors, but you know, families and their children.
3:07:30
We service about 45,000 clients annually.
3:07:34
Of which, I actually have my testimony already.
3:07:39
I'm just gonna just highlight certain items that I really wanted to talk about.
3:07:43
Because of DFTA, we were able to have the Halal Senior Center, and I encourage you and all the city council members to support and continue supporting them even more.
3:07:54
Because of them, we were able to have the first halal Meals on Wheels in the country.
3:08:00
Not the city, not the state, but the country.
3:08:04
It has added to the program where I thought I was only gonna have 60 seniors.
3:08:08
Now we have over 1,300 seniors that are coming to our office.
3:08:13
Because of that, we actually had to get resources from DIFTA again for the capital improvement, where we now have a 4,000 square foot senior facility, which we needed desperately.
3:08:26
My testimony shows that more and more item more and more budgets are needed, not cut, and it really is a lifeline to our community.
3:08:38
Our community members, and this is goes to all seniors.
3:08:42
They feel that they came into this country, they were gonna work for five years, they were gonna get all that money, and they were gonna go back whatever country they came from.
3:08:50
Many of us, our South Asian seniors came from Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, and other countries.
3:08:58
However, whenever they thought they were gonna go back, whenever they went back, everyone said, you haven't done enough for us.
3:09:05
So they come back here.
3:09:06
They did not pay for their retirement plan.
3:09:10
They did not do any of that.
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And they are desperate.
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They did work.
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They built the homes.
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They built the city.
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They built everything.
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They, you know, drove the cars.
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They paid into the system.
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But they are not able to survive because they didn't have long term planning.
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This is what's happening to majority of the seniors.
3:09:27
And I can't even urge you enough that, you know, we need to continue to support like as everyone else has mentioned.
3:09:33
We are here.
3:09:34
And if you need numbers, if you need data, we have so much data.
3:09:39
And I look forward.
3:09:40
Thank you.