I’m a retired teacher in the Hudson Valley, and I’m writing in support of the recently-passed $2.1 billion funding for excluded workers in New York.
We badly need this fund to help workers who haven’t been able to access any federal or state relief since the pandemic began, simply because of their immigration status. It’s been hard to watch children in particular struggle as their parents struggle to afford the laptops they need to keep up with school this year – or even just basic school supplies or a new pair of shoes.
More than that, we also need the fund to help the communities in which excluded workers live, and for the families who have been struggling through this pandemic.
By helping the families of this hard-working community get back on their feet, this fund will boost our economy as a whole as people buy food, pay their rent, and just generally support local and national businesses. Excluded workers have struggled through the pandemic just like all of us. It’s not right to penalize these workers – and penalize our communities as a whole.
Valerie Carlisle
Pleasant Valley, NY
