Care for the Homeless takes to the Hill at NHCHC Conference in D.C.



Left from bottom, Client Leader Gayle Dorsky, Staff members
Dominiq Williams and Kim Dalve and Client Leader David Broxton at the Capitol
During last week’s National Health Care for the Homeless Conference in Washington D.C. Care for the Homeless’ clients and staff took to the Hill to advocate for the programs and policies that we know can help end homelessness. Throughout the three day conference a Care for the Homeless team made up of Client Leaders David Broxton and Gayle Dorsky and staff members Kim Dalve and Dominiq Williams visited with congressional representatives from all over New York State.

“Even small cuts to SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) are really hurting people who rely on them.” Gayle told NY representatives. “Like many New Yorkers, I’ve had to go to food pantries more, but I have friends who don’t have the time to go to food pantries or get turned away from pantries that have limited resources.”
In addition to advocating for programs like SNAP, the CFH group spoke about the importance of reinstating the National Housing Trust Fund’s pre-recession commitment to use a small percent for low income housing programs, increasing funding for Section 8 and for an amendment to the Federal Tort Claim Act to provide malpractice insurance for volunteer medical practitioners. “Adding this coverage will provide the federal government with volunteer hours in its’ federally qualified health centers, like the clinics that Care for the Homeless operates.” CFH Program Analyst Kim Dalve pointed out to law-makers.
But the overall message was best conveyed by Client Leader David Broxton, who made the point at every office he visited that increasing support and funding programs for low-income Americans and Americans experiencing homelessness is necessary and always worthwhile. “A lot of times you hear in the newspaper, ‘A homeless person did this or that’, Broxton said, “People are so focused on the negative sometimes that they don’t see what’s in front of them- that people who receive assistance from these programs need that help and are using those resources to get back on their feet.”

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