Empire State Voices Donates Toys and Games to Long Island Families in Need
While Rep. D’Esposito Prioritizes Corporations and the Wealthy, Empire State Voices is Giving Back to Working Families on Long Island
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK — Yesterday, Empire State Voices donated over $1,000 worth of toys and games to the Elmont Cultural Center and Rockville Centre MLK Community Center for their holiday donation drives. The donated items will be given to local Long Island families in need ahead of the upcoming holidays.
Empire State Voices donated toys and games for Long Island families in need to the Elmont Cultural Center and Rockville Centre MLK Community Center. | Credit: ESV
“Too many families find themselves feeling alone and struggling to remain joyful during the holiday season,” said Mimi Pierre Johnson, President and Founder of the Elmont Cultural Center. “The Elmont Cultural Center’s Family Night and toy drive allows us to come together as a community for an evening of celebration and joy. It's our way of giving back. Happy holidays!”
Even though inflation has come down substantially since its peak in the summer of 2022, many New York families are still struggling to make ends meet. According to a recent poll from Monmouth University, 55% of Americans plan to cut back on holiday spending this year because of high prices. Trends like these are felt especially hard in areas like Long Island, where a higher cost of living has left around 20% of residents unable to afford the cost of such basic necessities as housing, healthcare, energy, and food.
“The RVC MLK Community Center appreciates the kindness and generosity of organizations like Empire State Voices and others coming together to help fulfill the needs of the community, especially during the holidays,” said Patrick Morris, Director of the RVC MLK Community Center. “These collaborative efforts allow us to assist families with gifts, food, and other items to help ease the financial burdens many families face during the holidays. We cannot do it alone. It takes a village.”
“Empire State Voices is doing what we can to give back to our neighbors and help support working families here on Long Island,” said Dylan Wheeler, NY-04 Regional Organizing Director for Empire State Voices. “Every family deserves a joy-filled holiday season, but for far too many Long Islanders, the cost of living crisis threatens to get in the way. We need our representatives in Washington to stop fighting for billionaires and corporations and start fighting for all the hardworking New Yorkers just trying to make ends meet.”
Despite the overwhelming need in his district, Congressman D’Esposito has focused his efforts on helping the richest Americans and corporations avoid paying their fair share in taxes. When it comes to working families, he’s been far less generous, voting to slash funding for housing, energy, food assistance, and the agencies that administer Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid benefits. Policies like these would raise costs for New York families even further, putting the millions already struggling to make ends meet at risk.
To learn more about the campaign, 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.
