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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Clare Biging, Member of DC37 Local 3005
6:05:22
ยท
91 sec
Clare Biging, a member of DC37 Local 3005 and a city worker, testifies against budget cuts that are affecting public health services in New York City. She describes how budget cuts have severely impacted an online HIV home test giveaway program she works on, reducing its effectiveness and reach.
- The program successfully distributed tens of thousands of at-home HIV tests since 2018, but recent budget cuts led to the disapproval of online ads.
- Without online advertising, the program's distribution dropped from 10,000 kits to less than 500.
- Biging emphasizes the importance of city agency work in keeping New Yorkers healthy and safe, urging the committee to consider this when deciding on the budget.
Clare Biging
6:05:22
Thank you.
6:05:23
Thank you members of the committee for hearing from us today.
6:05:26
My name is Claire Bigging and I am a DC thirty seven local three thousand and five member and a city worker.
6:05:33
I'm here today to oppose any budget cuts that will further reduce the quantity and quality of the services we provide to elevate the health of all New Yorkers.
6:05:41
I currently work on an online HIV home test giveaway program that has successfully distributed tens of thousands of at home self HIV tests since 2018.
6:05:54
In the summer of twenty twenty four, we were set to distribute another allotted 10,000 home tests when due to budget cuts, our online ads were disapproved.
6:06:05
Without online advertisements, we struggled to get out less than 500 kits, down from 10,000.
6:06:11
This year our online ads were disapproved yet again.
6:06:15
Without online advertising, we know it is impossible to run an online campaign.
6:06:19
We knew our strategy and program worked.
6:06:21
We engaged the community and we regularly captured a significant amount of people who had never tested for HIV before.
6:06:28
Instead of putting our energy into this project we now have to scramble to give out these resources in an inefficient and less successful way.
6:06:35
I work for the city because I love the city.
6:06:38
I urge you to consider the valuable work of all of our city agencies when all of the work that our city agencies do when deciding the budget.
6:06:46
Without your support we can't do the work to keep New Yorkers healthy and safe.
6:06:52
Thank you.