Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) has announced that his office is joining with ReesSpecht LIFE and Family Service League for a special Toy Drive during the upcoming holiday season. Project TOY (Treasure Our Youth) will help local families in need have a happy holiday season.

“This is a great program that my office is proud to participate in to help make the upcoming holidays brighter for our entire community. Hopefully, we can all join together to help ensure that every child has a happy holiday season,” stated Senator Flanagan.

Senator John Flanagan (2nd Senate District) announced that his office has secured $10,000 in state funding for the Commack Public Library as part of the 2014-15 State budget. The funding will be used by the library to offset the cost of an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) program.

The library will use funding secured by Senator Flanagan to purchase AED equipment as well as to obtain a special cabinet that will house the lifesaving device. The funding will also be used to support the training of library staff so that any patron who suffers a cardiac emergency will be assisted as quickly as possible.

(Bronx, NY)- Senator Serrano served as the keynote speaker for the New York Botanical Garden's (NYBG) Puerto Rican Heritage Month celebration. The NYBG's celebration included an array of presentations and workshops that highlighted Puerto Rican culture for school groups. Senator Serrano had the distinct honor of providing the keynote address for the celebration.

"It was an honor to serve as keynote speaker for the NYBG's Puerto Rican Heritage Month celebration," said Senator Serrano. "Local students were treated to a cultural feast of all that Puerto Rico has to offer - from the history of the island, to the arts and culture,folklore, food, dance and music. I am so proud of my Puerto Rican culture and how it's part of the wonderful and diverse mosaic we call New York City!"

(Upper West Side, NY)- Senator Serrano hosted a free hands-only CPR training course at the JASA Senior Center on the Upper West Side. The American Heart Association provided participants with an in-depth, informative class on this life-saving technique. Sudden Cardiac Arrest is a leading cause of death in the U.S.- but when ordinary people are equipped with the skills to perform CPR, the survival rate can double, or even triple. 

East Harlem, NY)- Senator José M. Serrano and Senator Liz Krueger joined the Turkish Cultural Center in delivering 1,500 pounds of food to the New York Common  Pantry. The generous donation by the Turkish Cultural Center was part of Eid al-Adha, also known as the Feast of the Sacrifice. This year's donation represents a 50 percent increase from last year's donation and will help feed more than 1,250 families.

(Bronx, NY)- Senator Serrano joined members of the community and elected officials at the New York Botanical Garden's Annual Holiday Christmas Tree and Menorah Lighting celebrations.