Passover/Easter 2020

As we enter our fourth month in 2020 and continue to hear positive and negative news behind the Coronavirus we see more and more how humanity has either put themselves out there by being in the front lines or supporting them as they battle the unknown. It is heartwarming to see individuals come together, but it is also sad to see the ugliness in others as they allow hate and ignorance take over.

New York, Connecticut and New Jersey are currently dealing with the unknown. Our neighbors, friends and families are dying, or in fear of dying due to a virus. Forget where it surfaced it is now here. Our medical personnel, police officers, EMT's, Correctional officers and Home Health Care workers are fighting a demon that has taken us off guard and risking their lives doing so. Remember essential workers are not only at risk at their place of employment but also as they ride the public transportation system that continues to be overcrowded to date. Social distancing is impossible in a city that is known to never sleep yet is being forced to. 

Staying safe and not being exposed or exposing others is the hard task. You take a risk when you're an essential employee. Hence, consider your fellow community members. They have a lot to deal with and don't need the extra pressure. Stay home. Be vigilant and cherish your families. This may be one Passover and Easter that we cannot celebrate as we normally do, but we can cherish the fact we are still alive. We have lost many to this unseen culprit, but we must continue as best we can for the ones still with us. If this has taught us anything at all it is to love more, appreciate more and forgive more. 

May you all be blessed with comfort, love and peace during this pandemic. Better days are ahead of us. 

All rights reserved ~Susan B. Anna

1199 SEIU Views and Comments on Government Shut Down

1199ers in New Jersey Speak Out Against Government Shutdown, Urge Congress to Pass Spending Bill

Oct 02, 2013

Just one day after the federal government shutdown began on October 1st, thousands across New Jersey were already feeling its devastating effects. From furloughed workers who don’t know when they’ll be receiving their next paycheck to low-income families now unable to apply for emergency benefits, the closure of the federal government is affecting people in real and immediate ways.

On October 2nd, 1199ers partnered with concerned community members to hold an event outside of the Social Security Administration office in Newark, NJ. Participants highlighted the impact that the shutdown is having on working families and urged Tea Party members in Congress to end their blockage of a federal spending bill that’s needed to keep vital services in operation.

“It’s sad that Tea Party Republicans don’t seem to care about the innocent people who are being hurt and can’t get the benefits they need,” said Gracie Parham, an 1199SEIU member who works as a certified nursing assistant at Windsor Garden Care & Rehabilitation Center in East Orange. “We the people are not going to stand for this, and we will fight to make sure that our representatives in Congress do the right thing!”
Throughout the day, Newark residents were stopping by the Social Security Administration office hoping to complete important tasks, but were stunned to find the building closed.

Among those turned away were:

     · Charlotte, who has a heart condition and cannot to go back to work until December, couldn’t apply for temporary disability benefits.
     · Patricia, whose son is disabled, was unable to get the paperwork necessary for applying for welfare benefits for her and her child.
     · Chanelle, a security officer and mother of two girls, aged 2 and 5, was unable to get the documents she needs to apply for food assistance for her daughters
     · Georgia couldn’t get the proof of income that she needs in order to apply for supplemental nutrition assistance for her family.
     · Fred, a 75 year old retiree, couldn’t get the information he was seeking about applying for Medicaid.
     · Kim, an unemployed mother of four who was recently offered a job at the airport, couldn’t get the paperwork she needs by Friday for a background check so she can start work.

Milly Silva, 1199SEIU Executive Vice President who is running for Lt. Governor alongside gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono, spoke to the crowd about the broad impact that the shutdown is having on communities across the nation. “So many of the rights and privileges that we as Americans take for granted exist because of the dedication of our federal employees,” she said. “Without them on the job, vital services come to a grinding halt and all Americans suffer—from veterans awaiting disability benefits to low-income mothers in need of nutrition assistance for their children.”

Silva also stressed that the Tea Party’s attempt to derail the Affordable Care Act by forcing a government shutdown cannot be allowed to succeed. “Millions of Americans are already benefiting for the reforms of the Affordable Care Act. We are not going back to a time when people could be denied coverage due to preexisting conditions or when insurance companies could spend all they want on executive salaries and bonuses instead of delivering medical care.”

“The caregivers of 1199SEIU are ready to stand with the families in New Jersey and across the nation who are being victimized by this government shutdown, and I’m confident that together we’ll win justice for those who are being affected and bring sanity back to our political process,” Silva said.

---

 

  Please feel free to comment!!!

Amazing Survival Story of Hurricane Sandy Victim

Man swept away in a current of water so strong it minutes earlier took his entire kitchen away amazingly survives, and lives to tell his story. 

This story gave me goose bumps, and literally raised the hair in the back of my neck at attention.

Miracles happen every day and this is one for the records. 

Courtesy of Yahoo~ Amazing Story of Survival