South Queens, NY – On Saturday, Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar (D-AD 38) proudly presented $90,000 in state funding she secured for the Cityline Ozone Park Civilian Patrol (COPCP). This is the first official funding stream for COPCP, an emerging organization founded in 2020 as a service organization for the community at the height of the pandemic.

The Assemblywoman’s presentation of the $90,000 check continues her track record of bringing unprecedented new levels of funding to her district. In opening up a new funding stream for COPCP, the Assemblywoman will help the organization grow exponentially, including expanding its popular weekly food pantry and its operations to protect quality of life in South Queens.

The Assemblywoman presented the check in a grand press conference right before COPCP’s weekly Ozone Park Pantry food distribution. Hundreds of South Queen residents at the pantry cheered as the enormous check was handed to the leadership of COPCP. Assemblywoman Rajkumar also presented proclamations honoring three members of the organization’s leadership: President Iqbal Ali, Executive Director Mohammad Khan, and Secretary Patrica Raghunandan, while the organization’s many volunteers surrounded them with congratulations.

Assemblywoman Rajkumar’s support for the organization is the latest chapter in her work of bringing unprecedented levels of civic engagement to the district. When she ran for State Assembly, she increased turnout in the district by 3 times what it had ever been and operated her own COVID-19 relief initiative in 5 languages at the height of the pandemic.Now, she is supporting emerging civic organizations like COPCP that bring new energy and services to the district.

A coalition of people who put their hearts into the safety and wellness of their neighbors, COPCP works at a fast pace to respond to community needs, engaging in any and all activities to benefit its blocks, including operating a safety patrol, running a food pantry, promoting civic participation, conducting school supply and PPE giveaways, removing graffiti, and cleaning streets. COPCP responds to concerns 24 hours a day, whether to shovel snow or guard a house of worship after a hate crime. The organization benefits from its members’ diversity in background, religion, gender, and age. The funding from the Assemblywoman will allow COPCP to exponentially expand its already extensive work. 

Assemblywoman Rajkumar said: “Every day, I serve my community with a heart full of grace, and today I am proud to bring new energy and new services to South Queens. By securing this enormous new funding stream for COPCP, I am empowering an emerging organization that has all the right ingredients to help our community. COPCP inspires young people to participate in community service, responds rapidly to crises in the neighborhood, and brings people of all diverse backgrounds together. Like me, COPCP is relentless in its service to the community. I am honored to secure COPCP its historic, first-ever government funding.”

COPCP President Iqbal Ali said: “This is a historic moment for the community work in Ozone Park. When I saw the check, I literally had goosebumps. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to receive funding like this. This check is only the latest wonderful work from our Assemblywoman, Jenifer Rajkumar. I have seen her since she took office: whenever there is something wrong in any of our diverse neighborhoods, she is there. Today, she made sure that our community got the help we deserve, and I am forever grateful for the work and commitment that she’s brought to us. Thank you for supporting COPCP.”

COPCP Executive Director Mohammad Khan said: “We founded COPCP only a few months before Assemblywoman Rajkumar was elected. Her energy and inspiration was vital to our growth as we hit the ground running during the pandemic, and she is always by our side when we are helping our neighbors. With the funding the Assemblywoman has secured, we will be able to do more than I ever would have imagined two years ago.”

COPCP Secretary Patrica Raghunandan said: “Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar is my favorite person.Every single day she’s out there fighting for COPCP and all of us. For her to do this for our Food Pantry, it tells us a lot about how much she cares. We all love and appreciate her.”