SOMOS Fights to Get COVID Vaccines for Their Frontline Workers, Preps Future Distribution Sites

By Emily Drooby

Leaders of SOMOS Community Care are hopeful that on Wednesday Jan. 6, they will be able to vaccinate 400 of their front-line employees at two of their facilities: one in Manhattan, and one in the Bronx.

Board Chairman Dr. Ramon Tallaj said they have been promised 7,000 more doses by next week for their other health care workers. However, getting these doses sent to them has been a big fight.

“Our doctors are being called to go to a hospital to get a vaccine, that’s a joke. We are physicians,” he told Currents News.

SOMOS’ network of physicians help immigrant communities, and they also help those in underserved communities. They’ve been fighting the pandemic from the front lines since day one, feeding people, educating and testing. So far, they have tested over 800,000 people.

“We showed character during a difficult time, using our own money to be on the front lines, even knowing it could shorten our lives,” Dr. Tallaj said.

Now, they’ve prepared for the next step, distributing the vaccine. Right now, they have over 600 doctors’ offices, over 200 dentists’ offices which have been certified to give vaccinations and 125 fully trained field teams that can be sent anywhere.

They have enough freezers for 400,000 doses, and each doctor’s office can handle at least 2,000.

Even with all of these resources and preparations, they have still had to fight for the right to be included in both Mayor Bill de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo’s distribution plans, just like they had to fight for their health care employees’ doses.

They’re also involved in another fight: educating those who are hesitant about the vaccination.

“It’s not an easy proposal. Quite truthfully, people do have fears,” said Mario Paredes, the CEO of SOMOS.

He added that allowing patients to get and learn about the vaccine from their own doctors is important because it helps to put them at ease.

“How wonderful it is to have providers, physicians, that know you, that you trust them, that you can explain to them, that you can guide them and provide trust for what is being done,” he said.

According to Dr. Tallaj, SOMOS has also spent over a million dollars on a vaccine campaign. He added that in general, they have a high rate of vaccination among their patients — it’s a rate he considers to be unprecedented.

“Our patients have a trust in what we say and what we do,” he told Currents News.

Dr. Tallaj is in the process of working with both the Governor and the Mayor on their distribution plans.

Balance of Power on Capitol Hill at Stake in Georgia Senate Runoff Election

Currents News Staff

“The whole world is watching the people of Georgia tomorrow,” said President Trump Jan. 4, rallying his base on the eve of a statewide election with national significance.

“Each of you is going to vote in one of the most important runoff elections in the history of our country,” he said.

Georgia is now at the center of the political world as Democrats Reverend Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff challenge incumbent GOP senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, respectively.

At stake? Control of the U.S. Senate.

“The country is watching us right now because we have the power, Georgia,” said Ossoff.

“We’re on the frontlines of this battle for the entire country,” said Loeffler.

The high-level stakes are bringing in high-level campaigners like president-elect Joe Biden for the final push. For him, a pair of Democratic victories could aid in advancing his policy agenda.

“One state can chart the course not just for the next four years, but for the next generation,” he said.

Republicans need at least one win Tuesday to put a check on Biden and the Democratic-led house.

“If you don’t vote, there could be nothing stopping Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi,” said Vice President Mike Pence.

Pro-life activists have also been working to get the two Republicans elected, arguing if Democrats win the majority in the Senate, the pro-abortion Biden-Harris administration could expand the Supreme Court and force taxpayers to fund abortion.

Meanwhile, enthusiasm in the peach state is high with a record 3 million voters casting their ballots early.

“People are taking it seriously,” voter David Brathwaite told Currents News.

Currents News full broadcast for Mon, 1/4/21 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Vaccines aren’t getting into the arms of New Yorkers fast enough – officials are now ramping up the pressure with new plans and huge fines.

The Vatican is rolling out their vaccines, but no word on plans to vaccinate Pope Francis.

Then, cyber-bullying is on the rise – what some Brooklyn Catholic schools are doing to stem the problem.

As Some Receive Second COVID Vaccine, Politicians and Public Call for Distribution to Ramp Up

By Emily Drooby

Three weeks ago, Sandra Lindsay was America’s first vaccinated nurse. Now, she’s been given her second of two Pfizer shots, meaning she’s one of the first in the country to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

She says she’s been receiving support from people all over the country.

Sandra told reporters that people have been writing to her, adding these are “…complete strangers who wanted to thank me for my bravery and encourage me, people were praying for me.”

Also on Jan. 4 non-hospital health care workers could begin to get their vaccines.

These hopeful milestones have been overshadowed by calls from many gravely concerned over what’s being called a slow rollout of the vaccine — only about 200,000 New Yorkers have gotten the first of two shots.

“It’s very piecemeal, there’s no organized information coming down from the state, or from the health department,” said pediatrician Dr. Eric Levene. “It’s sort of like information passed in a back alley,” he added.

Dr. Levene, the marketing committee chair and a partner with Allied Physicians Group, said that as non-hospital health care workers, they have had to get vaccine information from Facebook and Whatsapp groups, versus from the government.

He also suggested that the state should be using more medical professionals to help with distribution, not just hospitals, which are also now dealing with an increase in COVID-19 cases.

“Send me the vaccine, we are pediatricians, we are good at mass vaccinations, we vaccinate kids every day,” he said.

New York City has yet to open any large-scale vaccination sites. But on Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the opening of three vaccine hubs. He said they will open by Sunday January 10, and will be in Queens, Brooklyn and the Bronx.

“This has got to be a seven day a week, 24/7 reality going forward,” added the mayor.

Also on Monday, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo placed the blame for the slow roll out on a federal program that was supposed to deal with nursing homes and on hospitals.

“We want those vaccines in people’s arms,” he said.

Gov. Cuomo also chastised hospitals with low distribution rates.

Northwell Health was praised by the governor for their high rates. Their President and CEO, Michael Dowling, said while they’re placing a strong emphasis on distribution, they’re also still having to deal with the normal hurdles of running a hospital and again, the rising COVID-19 cases.

“This is complex,” he explained, “but the goal is to move as quickly as possible, as effectively as possible and as equitability as possible.”

Right now, it’s still not clear when vaccines will be available to the average New Yorker. Currently it’s still being distributed to front-line health care workers, including EMTs, coroners and hospice workers.

The mayor said he wants to add school staff and first responders of all types to that list in the next few weeks.

Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy Stops the Spread of Bullying During the Pandemic

By Jessica Easthope

Kelly Wolf, the principal of Our Lady of Grace Catholic Academy starts every day with the same message.

“Most importantly what we always talk about, kindness truly does make a difference right,” she says during her morning announcements.

It’s a lesson she’s trying to ingrain in her students, especially during a year when cyberbullying is reaching new heights. According to L1GHT, an organization that tracks online harassment, there’s been a 70 percent increase in cyberbullying in the last few months.

But at Our Lady of Grace, things are different. There hasn’t been any bullying — a rare feat for any elementary school.

“There is no reason to bully someone right now and that being said, we haven’t had any situations,” said Kelly. “I think children are just thankful to be here and see their friends and with that, it’s just joy they have in their hearts.”

It’s a simple act she thinks is changing hearts and minds.

“That momentum of just saying hello to a friend, it truly can make someone’s day,” she said.

She calls the initiative “Start Your Day With Hello.” Every student begins the day by saying hello to everyone in their class and anyone else they come across.

“It doesn’t exist, almost. It’s just the values that we develop to make that student the character that we believe in in Catholic education,” Kelly explained.

This year, Our Lady of Grace welcomed more than 50 new students, all from public school. Still, there weren’t any incidents during the unfamiliar and stressful transition.

Jeanmarie Bisset, who’s been a teacher at the Gravesend school for 20 years, says she sees a change in how her fifth graders relate to new students and each other.

“Since the pandemic I feel like the children enjoy each other’s company more. It is kind of a weird silver lining of the situation. It’s nice to see how much they appreciate each other,” she told Currents News.

If the pandemic has helped force bullying out of Our Lady of Grace, principal Kelly Wolf says it’s a positive shift she hopes will be permanent.

“It is the kindness from our heart that matters,” she said, ending the morning announcements. “Truly make someone smile today boys and girls. Have a great day.”

Will Pope Francis Be Receiving the COVID Vaccine?

Currents News Staff

Vatican City’s vaccine rollout begins this month.

Health personnel, those with greatest contact with the public and the elderly will be the first to receive the shot.

But what about Pope Francis?

John Allen, editor at Crux, joins Currents News to discuss.

Currents News full broadcast for Wed, 12/23/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this special edition:

It will be a Christmas like no other, but a tree lighting tradition still lives on in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Plus, keeping another special tradition alive through the generations – a heartwarming story of faith and family from one of our own.

If you’re having a stay-at-home Christmas this year, recipes from inside the Vatican will help adorn your holiday table.

The gifts of the Magi, endangered? One of the oldest and most prized gifts given to the baby Jesus could be gone in our lifetime.

Currents News full broadcast for Tues, 12/22/20 (Catholic news)

Currents News reports secular and religious news from the Catholic perspective.

Some of the top stories on this newscast:

Finally a COVID relief bill could soon be signed into law, but families are worried it won’t be enough to put a dent into their sinking finances.

Businesses in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn are coming together to give back at a time when they are struggling to survive.

Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio stops by to talk about the true meaning of Christmas, and one group of parishioners is taking his words to heart – they’ve created a crèche like no other for their Queens parish.

St. Margaret Mary Parishioners Build Creche One Last Time as Staten Island Church Preps for Closure

By Jessica Easthope

A few weeks before Christmas every year, hundreds see a crèche appear at St. Christopher/St. Margaret Mary Church on Staten Island. What they don’t see is what it takes to create it.

The nativity was first built in the church in 1964 by Frank Illuzzi, my grandfather.

“His ability to build things and construct things like this and even things at home was with no training and really no education but he had such intelligence that it was incredible,” said my uncle, Mike Illuzzi, Frank’s son.

Frank started building the creche, which my family affectionately calls “the crib,” when he was 28 years old. He built it for 28 years until he passed away at 56. That’s when my uncle, Mike Illuzzi, took over. He was 28 and has now been building the crib for exactly 28 years.

“It’s just a strange coincidence and it makes you think there’s some connection to our lives and this Christmas crib,” Mike said.

This year the men in my family, including my uncle Mike, cousin Michael and Godson Mikey built the crib for the last time, because soon there will be no more Masses at St. Margaret Mary.

“Unfortunately we’re a parish that’s getting a little bit smaller each year and it’s time to make a very difficult decision to only use one site for the parish,” said Father Joseph McLafferty, pastor of the merged parishes.

Though it’s been in my family for nearly six decades, the tradition started long before that.

“It started with Frank’s mother, Lucia Illuzzi who lived in Bari, Italy. She would create this crèche in her living room, and the whole town at Christmas time would come and see it. She was a fanatic about how it looked,” said my grandmother, Marie Illuzzi.

Part of the family tradition is that every aspect of the crèche — from the structure underneath to the way the paper mountains are painted — were passed down by my grandfather. But that’s not all that was passed down. My Uncle Mike is pretty fanatic about it, too.

“The paper is used to create the effect of the mountain, and I get made fun of because sometimes I’m particular about how people crumple it,” he said.

But that’s because it’s more than just a nativity: for all of us, it is my grandfather.

“There’s nothing on this planet that could ever stop me from building this. I just can’t, it’s like breathing to me,” said Mike.

On the wall next to the crib there’s a plaque, and on it is everything you need to know about my grandfather’s view on faith.

“Faith was in him, after he did the crèche in church that’s all he ever said was, ‘I did it for the man upstairs,’” my grandmother recalled.

The statues that make up the desert scene are old, some are chipped and worn. Individually they’re imperfect, just like the members of our family. But when you look at the big picture, it’s so much more than that.

Through ‘Count on Us,’ Businesses Give Back to Bay Ridge With Food and 1,000 Christmas Toys

By Jessica Easthope

The gate at P.C.’s is down — the Bay Ridge bar and grill that has been a staple for 25 years is closed. Right now it can’t be the place where people get together and have fun, and that’s the hardest part for owner Pam Pazarecki.

“We are closed, it breaks my heart,” she told Currents News. “We employ a lot of people and our customers, socialization is one of the main things we need. Especially this time of year when depression runs high, they close us down again.”

Pam’s not alone: hundreds of businesses across the country are closing for good every day. But at a time when stress is high and profits are low, Pam and 28 other Bay Ridge business owners are thinking about others.

“People are getting very down about our industry and what we are and what we stand for, and I said, ‘We’re good people, we work hard, we care for our community.’ So I said, ‘Let’s do a two-phase drive,” she explained.

This Christmas, Pam started Count on Us. She organized a group of her fellow business owners, and together they began to collect food and toys. The group collected more than 1,000 toys they’ll distribute to Toys for Tots, Catholic Charities, domestic violence shelters and military families.

Count on Us brought out the best in the community. When St. Ephrem’s students Victoria DiSpirito and Sofia Cascio saw one of their favorite restaurants giving back, they decided to make a video asking for toy donations. Their inspiration? Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas.

“He is the best person and He would do a lot of this stuff too,” Victoria said.

The struggle to make Christmas special this year doesn’t extend far beyond P.C.’s. Judette Kraics can usually be found behind the bar, but she’s out of a job, so she’s been spending her days collecting toys.

“It’s heartwarming to see people give even though they don’t have, and it’s a wonderful thing,” Judette said.

Pam doesn’t know when she’ll be open again, but she hasn’t lost hope or her desire to help those in need.

“We have made kids happy and we have made families happy, and that’s the most important thing is spreading it out,” she said.

This Christmas, her message to other families is, “You can count on us.”