Carlos Rodriguez of the Food Bank for NYC, City Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn, Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor of ERDA, and Milagros Ramos of Amalgamated Bank outside ERDA's Free Tax Site across from Queensbridge Houses.

"As our City pulls itself through the recession, it’s vital for all New Yorkers to know that these free services are available throughout the five boroughs," said Speaker Christine C. Quinn. "To think, a tax return could be as much as two-month’s worth of income — that alone could be the lifeline that a family needs to make sure they have enough food on the table or are still able to send their children to college that year."

"I commend Bishop Taylor and the East River Development Alliance for their great work helping residents of public housing neighborhoods in Long Island City file their tax returns," said Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer. "This is an example of a great institution that is working for our residents. Their free tax form preparation service helped residents get a total of $2.8 million back, $1.4 million of which came from earned income tax credits. This is truly amazing work."

"I encourage low-income New Yorkers to take advantage of the Earned Income Tax Credit and the free tax prep services offered by ERDA and the Food Bank," said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney. "It’s your money – don’t leave it sitting in an IRS account. I thank Speaker Quinn, Councilman Van Bramer, and Bishop Taylor for their efforts to make sure that hard-working New Yorkers get the benefits they deserve."

"Tax season is much like budget season for the City and State – it can lead to much frustration and little payback," said Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. "Fortunately, this free tax prep service reverses that trend for New Yorkers, making the process less daunting and potentially more profitable."

"I want to commend the work that Bishop Mitchell Taylor and the staff of the East River Development Alliance has done in helping the residents of Queens get their tax returns filed this year," said Assemblywoman Catherine Nolan. "ERDA has worked hard to make sure that all residents get the help that they need by providing programs such as the tax prep program."

"Effective tax advice should not be the exclusive province of the wealthiest among us, who use high-priced lawyers and accountants to find tax loopholes and save millions," said Assemblyman Michael Gianaris. "Unfortunately, those who most need help are often unaware of the aid available to them. I am proud to support ERDA, as it does an effective job of reaching out to our neighbors who most need a helping hand during this economic crisis."

"Potentially, scores of New York City residents could be missing out on thousands of dollars in tax refunds — money that low-income working people can use to pay bills and purchase food for themselves and their families," said Carlos Rodriguez, VP of Agency Resources & Benefit Access for the Food Bank For New York City. "We’re grateful to Speaker Quinn and the Council for providing this opportunity to get the word out so that more New Yorkers will get the assistance they need to help make financial ends meet."

"The ERDA Free Tax Preparation program is located across the street from Queensbridge Houses – the largest public housing community in the nation, with 10,000 residents and 96 buildings," said Bishop Mitchell G. Taylor, ERDA President and CEO. "ERDA thanks Speaker Quinn, Council Member Van Bramer, the Food Bank, and all ERDA’s tax preparation partners for making our tax preparation season such a huge success."