Welcome to the fifteenth installment of our #epicenterexperience series!
Epicenter Experience is a video series where consumers like you share exactly what it’s like living in NYC during quarantine. We’ve gathered personal stories about how New Yorkers were impacted financially, emotionally, or physically by COVID-19. Watch Edwin’s story below!
Edwin shares his experience living in Queens during the pandemic.
When the pandemic began, Edwin’s life was uprooted. A former advance worker for the Bernie 2020 campaign, he lost his job and had to file for unemployment. While Edwin was able to get unemployment and Medicaid – he’s still struggled.
Edwin is not alone: Queens, as he notes, has been the hardest-hit of all five boroughs. He worries that as small businesses close, corporate giants and chains will reshape his neighborhood. Even as the first wave of Covid receded, he still had friends who lost family members. Supporting them, and the essential workers in his family, became a top priority. As we emerge after Covid, Edwin hopes that we can rebuild better.
After such a dramatic and unsettling year, Queens is ripe for change. Edwin’s got plenty of ideas!
Watch his full story here: