Empire State Voices Donates Diapers and Hygiene Products to Rockland County Families in Need
“When you’re at your darkest moment, all you pray for is some sort of safety net to break your fall.” -Tracey, Pearl River
NEW CITY, NEW YORK — Today, Empire State Voices joined Pearl River resident Tracey Obenauer to present a donation of diapers, hygiene products, and other essentials to the Center for Safety and Change in New City, which provides services and support to women and their families across Rockland County. With Medicaid, the Essential Plan, and other critical health care programs under attack by Republicans in Congress, including NY-17’s own Rep. Mike Lawler, the Center for Safety and Change fills an important gap in addressing the needs of women, who are often the most impacted by cuts to health care funding. Tracey, a single mother and cancer survivor who shares her story and calls on Rep. Lawler to stop voting to make health care more expensive in Empire State Voices’ latest digital ad, spoke about the importance of reaching out and lending a hand to her neighbors in need.
“The worst part about my fight with cancer was the feeling that I had lost control over my life. I was at the mercy of my disease, uninsured and terrified that a single medical emergency would financially devastate my family,” said Tracey, a single mother and cancer survivor from Pearl River. “Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act gave me that sense of control back. I could finally sleep at night, knowing that if something else happened, my kids and I were covered and could access the care we needed. When you’re at your darkest moment, all you pray for is some sort of safety net to break your fall. Since I got back on my feet, I’ve tried to do everything I can to help others in my community who are struggling and strengthen that net.”
Empire State Voices joined Pearl River resident Tracey Obenauer to present a donation of diapers, hygiene products, and other essentials to the Center for Safety and Change in New City. | CREDIT: Empire State Voices
Tracey’s story is unique to her, but she is far from the only Rockland County resident who has struggled to afford health care. New Yorkers already pay some of the highest health insurance premiums in the country, with rates skyrocketing for thousands of Hudson Valley families following the expiration of Affordable Care Act tax credits. Cuts to Medicaid and New York’s Essential Plan, which Congressman Mike Lawler voted for in last year’s Republican Tax Law, are expected to force around 860,000 New Yorkers off their health insurance, potentially leading dozens of rural hospitals and clinics across the state to raise the cost of care, reduce services, or even close their doors entirely.
“When families come to us, often one of their most pressing concerns is a lack of resources,” said Elizabeth Santiago, CEO of the Center for Safety and Change. “Between the burdens of rising housing, health care, and food costs, even basic essentials like diapers and hygiene products can feel out of reach. By ensuring that these needs are met, we’re able to provide women and families with a baseline level of stability that allows them to begin reclaiming control over their lives and work towards larger goals of safety and security.”
To learn more about Empire State Voices, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
