Newburgh city officials to help jobless apply for Sandy cleanup work

Newburgh city staff and other officials will be available Tuesday and Wednesday to help unemployed residents apply for some of the 5,000 jobs available to New Yorkers to help communities still recovering from Hurricane Sandy.

Governor Cuomo has announced that the state has partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency to launch a local hire program to replace FEMA employees, often from out of state, with New Yorkers. Funding, provided by a National Emergency Grant, will be provided to communities hit hard by the storm so they can hire people to help with clean up efforts in affected areas in Orange, Ulster, Rockland, Westchester, Putnam and Sullivan counties as well as locations in New York City and Long Island.

Help completing and submitting the required employment forms will be available 10 a.m.-noon Tuesday at the City Hall Council Chambers, 83 Broadway, and 2-4 p.m. Wednesday at the Delano Hitch Recreation Center, 401 Washington St. In addition to Newburgh city staff, representatives of the Workforce Development Institute, Assemblyman Frank Skartados' office and other nonprofit agencies will be on hand.

Residents may also apply by visiting labor.ny.gov/sandyjobs or by contacting the Department of Labor at 888-469-7365.

Candidates must currently be unemployed to be eligible for the positions, which pay about $15 per hour for work on short- and long-term projects. The work will include cleaning and repairing damaged public structures and property in each of the nine counties declared disaster areas. In addition to being offered benefits and on-the-job experience, each worker will be given assistance in finding their next job. Eligible youth will also be certified in the governor's New York Youth Works program.

For more information, contact the City of Newburgh Department of Planning & Development at 845-569-9400.