Leake & Watts Clients Connect with Local Representatives on Legislative Action Day

Friends, clients and partners of Leake & Watts personally connected with New York legislators at Leake & Watts Legislative Action Day on February 18, sharing their concerns about potential program cuts due to proposed city and state budgets.  State senators, representatives and county legislators attended the crowded breakfast in the auditorium of the Leake & Watts Biondi School and listened to the presentations of several clients who directly benefit from Leake & Watts programs.

Client speakers related stories of how Leake & Watts had helped them successfully transition their children from special education to traditional classrooms, reunite their families after being separated due to foster care placement, find a safe and supportive community and get back on track to graduate from high school.  Simone Connolly (a parent of a special education student at the Ames Center), Deborah Gonzalez (a recipient of Family Foster Care Services), Jose Vega (a student at the Biondi School and a resident of the Residential Treatment Center) and Kristal Almonte (a young woman receiving Developmental Disabilities Residential Services) each emphasized the important role that community services had played in transitioning them and their children to more successful, independent lives.

Guests were particularly moved by Kristal, who spoke about her history in a home troubled by domestic violence.  She pleaded with attending legislators to do all that they can to prevent potential government budget cuts to social services programs: “I don’t want to go back to my abuser, and I don’t want to go out on the street.  I’m scared because if they cut the funding, where will we go?” she said.

 Legislators then took the stage, several assuring Kristal that she could continue to live independently in the community with the necessary support services.

  Senator Gustavo Rivera, State Representatives Jeff Dinowitz and Mike Spano, County Legislator Jose Alvarado, Bessie Schachter from the office of Assemblywoman Naomi Rivera, and Brian D. Hegt from the office of Senator Andrea Stewart-Cousins all encouraged the presentors to continue sharing their stories with other state and local legislators.  “You need to do your part,” Representative Spano told the audience.  “Speak to anyone who is willing to listen.”  Those attending the breakfast were also given a brief lesson in how to be an advocate for the programs most important to them by sharing their personal stories, presented by Assistant Executive Director of Interagency Council, Winifred Schiff.

Overall, Leake & Watts staff was excited to witness clients and members of the community come together to support the services that they receive and value, and were encouraged to hear legislators’ positive responses.

To see more photos from this event, visit our Legislative Action Day Gallery on Flickr.