Troy Talk
International Day of Friendship
I want to wish everyone Happy International Day of Friendship. Yes, this is a real celebratory day, which occurs every July 30th, and we should all participate.
The United Nations designed this day to promote peace, happiness and unity. The essence of the effort is that occasionally we focus too much on our differences rather than our similarities. It should be the other way around.
Helping The Food Banks Address Food Insecurity
Recently, I sponsored a food distribution event in partnership with my legislative colleagues, Assemblyman Herb Conaway and Assemblywoman Carol Murphy. Even though we practiced social distancing, it provided me with a front-row view of one of the difficult and unintended consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been food insecurity resulting from the closures of schools and staggering unemployment rates.
July 4th: Independence Day for ALL
Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you know that the intrusion of the Coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter movement have been among the most prominent news events this year.
While the coronavirus’ impact is evident to everyone, the Black Lives Matter cause and the basis for its support might be less clear.
Helping Those Who Help Everyone Else
While many businesses and institutions have suffered during this COVID pandemic, two stand out that have been especially hard-hit and are struggling to recover. One is food banks, which by their very nature and stated mission are critical institutions that have seen that mission grow in importance during these times. They spend their resources trying to do their part to eradicate food insecurity by ensuring that no one goes to bed hungry. Is there anyone who hasn't seen on television the long lines of people standing or in cars, waiting for help? It shouldn't go unnoticed that some of those recipients, when interviewed, admit they never before stood in a food line.