Today, I cried. Just like I cried every day these last couple of months. Everyday more people are hurt. More people are dying. I feel ridiculously helpless and enraged. I got up and received phone calls from folks who have been helping me with procuring ppe for my district. 1/

It made me feel better and relieved that there are people willing to help. I owe them so much. Everyday we have so many helpers. Today I want to thank again our local food pantry Vision Urbana for helping our community. We want to thank @InvHandsDeliver and their volunteers. 2/

I also have to thank my friends at 46 Mott and Patrick Mock for making it so we can also hand out hot food to our seniors and our homeless neighbors and anyone who needs it. We give out 100-150 meals a day. Delicious and warm nutritious Chinese meals. 3/

And tonight, I want to thank our essential workers and especially our hospital staff, nurses, doctors, and crew. I had gotten a fb message from a nurse, who asked me if I could help her figure out where and how to get food delivered to her coworkers and colleagues. 4/

Nobody delivers in their area in the middle of the night. My mom was a nurse, working night shift was already hard for anyone to find meals, much less during a pandemic where restaurants are closed. She was hoping that I could help her find a way to get some food delivered. 5/

She wanted to surprise her coworkers and colleagues while giving them a treat...with her hazard pay...with her HAZARD PAY!!! With her HAZARD PAY SHE HASNT EVEN RECEIVED!!!! that just broke me. I cried again. But once again, helpers come through... 6/ https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/covid-19-coronavirus-explainers/2020/4/23/21228971/essential-workers-stories-coronavirus-hazard-pay-stimulus-covid-19

I want to thank AGAIN Patrick Mock from 46 Mott for providing 50 dinners and 50 fresh bottles of soy milk. I also want to thanky friends Alex, Sherm, and Danielle for coming out and lending me vehicles and bodies to deliver everything. 7/

I also want to say a HUGE thank to our friends at #championpizzaNYC and Hakki for donating 220 slices. Pizza to serve 100. And the best part of both of these tremendous champions in my heart? They are both willing to deliver to our health care workers at Beth Israel anytime. 8/

So...I feel enraged and helpless and horrified...but I also feel hopeful and inspired by the great folks around me. I wish our government treated our essential workers, our elders, our working families, and our neighbors the way that the deserve to be treated. With respect. 9/

My frustration lies in how our system is designed to hurt the people who help and sacrifice the most. Right now, today, the Governor announced even more cuts to the services that everyone needs the most. How does this work? 10/

I keep hearing the phrase we are all in this together. We are all on the same boat. We aren’t on the same boat. We are all on different boats. Some people have yachts while other people have a dingy or a raft...it isn’t equal. And we aren’t riding this out the same. 11/

But even though we aren’t on the same boat...we are all in this water. So please keep fighting. Help each other. Helping someone else is helping yourself in this. Fight for each other. Fight for yourself. Fight for our state. Fight for our survival. 12/

Fight this concept of an austerity budget as the only answer. Fight the mistaken notion that we need to accept this system designed to hurt. Let’s change how we prioritize. Change who we value. Let it be all of us. Not just the rich. Not just the privileged. All. /end