On Saturday, May 10th, the Southeast PA (SEPA) Healthcare Rights Committee members gathered bright and early for our monthly basebuilding event at a local leader Robin’s beloved food bank in Phoenixville, PA.
At the event, Put People First! PA members listened to people share their healthcare stories and talked about the dire effects of hospital closures – Crozer Health AND the ER & acute care closing at nearby Suburban Hospital Community Hospital. Members also offered blood pressure screenings and support with state benefit sign ups and Medicaid cut off appeals.
Robin reflected after the basebuilding, “We shouldn’t even have to have food banks. The safety net is not working! There’s profit in keeping us poor. There’s profit in keeping us sick. As much as I love the food bank, I wish I didn’t have to go. I wish I wasn’t food insecure. I wish my neighbors didn’t have to go. Through doing this work with Put People First! PA, I’m grateful I can see the bigger picture and open my mind more and more. We met amazing people.”
Another member, Legs, shared on their experience basebuilding for the first time. Legs said, “There was a line for the foodbank and then a second line for additional services. Our members talked with people in pairs to connect with people there. It was a really great opportunity even though it was so early!”
Raphie, another member who lives in Phoenixville, expressed, “Everyone seemed to believe health care was a human right, that the rich are hoarding wealth to spend on unnecessary things while the poor suffer, and that neither party was actually solving any of our real problems with healthcare. Even someone I talked to who was a Republican was on the same page. It’s heartening to know that a lot of people are on this track of thinking that will lead to change.”
#putpeoplefirstpa
#nonviolentmedicaidarmy
#healthcareisahumanright
#hospitalclosuresequaldeath
#crozerhealth
#suburbancommunityhospital
- Base-building, hospitals, Medicaid, Medicaid Cut Offs Organizing Drive, Nonviolent Medicaid Army, Southeast PA
- crozer health, healthcare is a human right, hospital closures, nonviolent medicaid army, put people first pa, save our hospitals, suburban community hospital
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[…] Southeast PA, members held a People’s Clinics to offer blood pressure screenings, healthcare referrals and appeal cut offs and sign people up for […]