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PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director of Staten Island Partnerships for Community Wellness
2:04:54
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168 sec
Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director of Staten Island Partnerships for Community Wellness, testifies about the impact of federal funding cuts on public health initiatives in Staten Island. She highlights the organization's reliance on government contracts and the recent threats to their funding due to federal policy changes.
- PCW focuses on youth behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, maternal health, and child wellness in Staten Island.
- 70% of PCW's budget comes from government contracts, including federal, state, and city funding.
- Recent federal actions have led to a stop work order for a CDC award and termination of two state pass-through contracts, threatening vital public health infrastructure.
- Abbate urges the City Council to allocate funds to offset federal shortfalls and protect nonprofits serving marginalized groups from punitive measures.
Adrienne Abbate
2:04:54
I'm already not following the rules.
2:04:56
Good morning, or good afternoon, Janelle.
2:04:58
My name is Adrienne Abadi, and I'm the Executive Director of Partnerships for Community Wellness, a public health nonprofit working to reduce health disparities on Staten Island.
2:05:07
I want to thank the members of the committees for this opportunity to submit testimony.
2:05:12
PCW's work is rooted in the understanding that complex public health issues are decades in the making and require the coordinated efforts and resources of multiple sectors.
2:05:22
Our initiatives focus on youth behavioral health, chronic disease prevention, maternal health, and child wellness.
2:05:27
For over twenty years, we've been working to ensure resources and critical public health programs are scaled to Staten Island communities most impacted by health disparities.
2:05:36
70% of our budget is made up of government contracts, including direct federal contracts with the CDC and SAMHSA and federal pass through awards from the state, including the SAPT block grants.
2:05:47
We also hold city contracts.
2:05:50
Shortly after the executive orders were issued in January attacking core tenets of public health and the mission of our agency, we received a stop work order for our CDC award to support LGBTQ and BIPOC youth and the termination of two of our state pass through contracts.
2:06:08
Luckily, court injunctions have allowed us to continue the work temporarily.
2:06:12
These actions by the federal government directly undermine the health and well-being of Staten Islanders and threaten to dismantle the vital public health infrastructure that our organization and other community groups have worked tirelessly to build.
2:06:25
Nonprofit organizations often provide public goods and services to address gaps when government falls nonprofits on Staten Island have had to shoulder that burden more than any of the other New York City boroughs.
2:06:37
Despite Staten Island often leading the city in overdose rates, maternal mortality rates, incidence of cardiovascular disease, cancer burden, and the lowest childhood vaccinations, we have neither an H and H public hospital nor a Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Health Action Center despite decades of advocacy.
2:06:57
This chronic underinvestment in Staten Island's public health infrastructure makes the current threat of federal funding cuts all the more devastating.
2:07:05
I urge the City Council to strategically allocate funds to offset these anticipated federal shortfalls.
2:07:11
Furthermore, I urge the City Council to ensure that nonprofits serving marginalized groups or addressing issues not aligned with current federal policies are protected from any punitive measures.
2:07:22
We're experiencing a situation where our omissions have become criminalized.
2:07:28
Our organizations must continue to receive the support they need to serve our communities effectively and the City Council has a critical role in protecting the health of the New York City residents and we stand ready to partner with you in this effort.
2:07:40
Thank you for your time and support in this critical matter.