On Friday April 30th, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz joined Public Advocate Betsy Gotbaum and community group leaders at a press conference at Brooklyn Borough Hall to highlight the availability of $2.17 billion in unclaimed state and federal funds.

Borough President Markowitz and Public Advocate Gotbaum encouraged ethnic communities in particular to apply for the aid, which often goes unclaimed because New Yorkers are not aware of its availability, or because they shy away from such programs due to the stigma often attached to government aid.

“I want everyone in Brooklyn who is eligible for these public programs to know that there’s no shame in getting assistance from the government,” said Borough President Markowitz. “Brooklynites work incredibly hard to support themselves and their families, and of course we all have a tremendous amount of pride. But, everybody needs a little help now and then.”

The press conference resulted from a October 2003 study by the Public Advocate’s Office which indicated that New Yorkers are eligible for an estimated $2.3 billion dollars in state and federal aid to help pay for food, utilities, prescription drugs and health care. The five programs identified by the study are the Food and Nutrition Service, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage, the Food Stamp Program, and the Earned Income Tax Credit.