Elmhurst Corona Recovery Collaborative

The Elmhurst Corona Recovery Collaborative (ECRC) consists of twenty-five local organizations working together to support our community as it recovers from the devastating toll of COVID-19. We are tackling areas of critical need, including mental health, immigrant rights, food security, and education.

The pandemic has disproportionately impacted the communities of Elmhurst and Corona, and the area was described as the national epicenter of the pandemic by the New York Times. In these largely immigrant and first-generation neighborhoods, the devastating health crisis is coupled with economic hardship. The sectors of NYC’s economy hardest hit by job losses—face-to-face services—rely heavily on immigrant workers, including those who are under-documented and will not benefit from federal relief.

Through this network, several cultural institutions have been operating as food distribution centers. Others are working with the Department of Education’s remote learning platforms to ensure students are connected to the classroom, offering mental health services, immigrants’ rights assistance, and other essential supports. Organizations participating in the ECRC have distributed tens of thousands of meals to families in the community.