TESTIMONY
Joshua Sooklal, Military and Veterans Program Manager for Hope for the Warriors, on Supporting Post-9/11 Military Members and Families
1:04:45
·
105 sec
Joshua Sooklal advocates for increased support for post-9/11 military members and their families.
- Sooklal thanks the council for the D-Day remembrance resolution and underscores the need for more support.
- He highlights the gap between the desire to help and actual aid received by military members and their families.
- Sooklal describes the fatigue from navigating through various organizations for assistance.
- He urges the city to augment support, likening the resilience required to succeed in New York City to that of military life.
Joshua Sooklal
1:04:45
Good morning, Geraldine, Council members.
1:04:48
My name is Joshua Sukle.
1:04:49
I am one of the military and veterans program manager for hope for the warriors on national nonprofit, the veteran to help in post 911, military members and their family and everything around them really.
1:05:02
I'm here to say thank you so much.
1:05:05
For resolution 0157, recognizing June 6th annually as d day remembrance.
1:05:13
Mainly because that's roughly 80 years 80 years that it should have been done already.
1:05:22
I represent a community that I found very also.
1:05:27
They've taught me how to be a good human, and that is my brothers and sisters.
1:05:30
Of the post 911 GWOT era.
1:05:33
What I see is the lack of help.
1:05:36
I've heard everyone speak Everyone wants the help, but no one's really helping.
1:05:42
The idea that I have to go through schools, different organizations, Really, I get tired.
1:05:49
But I have people holding my hand, helping me along the way.
1:05:53
And I just wanna know, Do I get more help?
1:05:56
Can I get the city's help?
1:05:57
Because in the end, people come to New York for this one reason.
1:06:01
If you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere in the world.
1:06:04
And after going through whatever anyone had to go through in the military, you wanna make it.
1:06:09
You wanna do it.
1:06:11
In the end, you wanna thrive.
1:06:14
So, GWANT error ended 2021.
1:06:17
We will have our veterans coming out of the service.
1:06:21
We need to help them.
1:06:22
Help me help them.
1:06:24
I don't plan on reinventing the wheel.
1:06:26
I just plan on using it, and I need help.
1:06:29
Thank you.