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Lee Zeldin Launches Charity Group to Help New Yorkers
By: Hadassa Kalatizadeh
Lee Zeldin is back in the news.
Zeldin, who had launched a bid in 2022 for New York State governor, is now setting up a charitable group to help needy New Yorkers. As reported by the NY Post, the nonprofit group, being named “Zeldin Cares” will raise funds and tap a volunteer base to help homelessness and food insecurity, as well as help increase veterans’ services, provide youth mentoring, and make improvements at local parks, streets, and unsightly buildings in impoverished neighborhoods. “We don’t have to be in a position of power to make a difference,” Zeldin said. “We don’t have to wait for the government to get something done.”
Zeldin seems committed to continuing to remain active and visible after having given up his seat in congress to run for governor. The 43-year-old Republican had served New York’s 1st congressional district from 2015 to 2023, representing Long Island. He had also served as a member the Senate from 2011 to 2014, in the 3rd Senate district. An attorney and former officer in the United States Army Reserve, Zeldin lost the midterm elections to incumbent Governor Kathy Hochul, though he receiving the highest percentage of the vote for a Republican gubernatorial nominee since 2002, and also the highest number of raw votes in total for any Republican gubernatorial nominee since 1970.
Zeldin told the Post, he got the idea of launching the charity during one of his visits to disadvantaged communities, where impoverished residents told him they felt forsaken by both Democratic and Republican politicians. “I am steadfast in my commitment to deliver the leadership we need to move New York forward in the communities which could use help the most,” Zeldin said in a statement. “Whether it be helping young entrepreneurs in an inner-city community, cleaning up a public space, or providing volunteers to a partner organization, I am going to continue to do my part to create a better future for New York.”
Zeldin said helping to tackle multi-generational poverty should not be a partisan issue. “It’s not about blind partisan loyalty for a lot of New Yorkers,” Zeldin said. He has previously said that Republican candidates need to do a better job interfacing with minority and particularly black voters. He told the Post, that he garnered inspiration from former Democratic President Jimmy Carter’s partnership with Habitat for Humanity, an organization which helps build homes for the needy.
Zeldin Cares will hold a joint event this week with another group –The Arcs in the Capital Region, which serves close to 1,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. His group will work to provide extracurricular activities for the kids, such as sending them on trips to Six Flags amusement park. Zeldin Care volunteers will also deliver home-bound meals to the elderly in collaboration with Meals on Wheels.
He told the Post that he has also been having talks with an apparel company to design jackets for distribution to homeless people for the winter. He’s also working with Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and community groups to help strengthen the Village of Hempstead. During his bid for governor, he had proposed creating a business incubation center in Harlem. “We want to move forward with that. People pledged significant seven-figure support,” Zeldin said.
