Evans, community leaders vow to ‘Stand ROC Solid’

Members of the Roc Resilience Roundtable, including food and health care providers, joined Mayor Malik Evans today to announce ‘‘Stand ROC Solid,” a coalition of local nonprofits and community organizations prepared to respond to the local impact sweeping federal funding cuts may have on the city of Rochester.

The Roc Resilience Roundtable, which includes faith leaders, nonprofit executives, and elected officials, first convened in April to discuss the city’s position in the face of continued threats from the federal government—whether through funding cuts or the lawsuit Rochester has faced over its sanctuary city policies. 

The Stand ROC Solid campaign represents continued work toward a comprehensive communications network across the region’s social support system to recognize and evaluate the ways in which the federal government’s actions may impact residents.

“We know that the Rochester region stands tall. We always have, and we always will,” Evans said today. “When we’re faced with challenges, we don’t drop to our knees and beg for help. … We stand on our feet, and we help each other, but more importantly, we persevere.”

Evans spoke alongside Foodlink president and CEO Julia Tedesco, as well as Jordan Health CEO Linda Clark M.D., in discussing the ramifications cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid would have as a result of the federal budget reconciliation bill passed in July. 

Tedesco said the nonprofit’s network of food pantries and meal programs reported 1.8 million requests for food assistance last year, and visits to food pantries have grown 36 percent.

“Preserving SNAP benefits is in everyone’s best interest,” said Tedesco. “No one benefits when a senior, or a child, or a single parent, or a veteran, or a new American, or anyone goes hungry. No one benefits when we lose millions of dollars to our local economy. No one benefits when our nonprofit and social service sector is overburdened.”

With changes in Medicaid eligibility expected in fiscal 2027, Clark shared her interest in being proactive—to ensure that those at risk do not lose access to health care regardless of coverage. Clark said the roundtable’s health subcommittee is engaged in developing predictive models to understand how best to prepare for changes to health care access over the coming years.

“Our community is not waiting on others to save our neighbors or to extend a lifeline,” said Clark. “We are (all) coming together to proactively serve as a life raft to help our community stay afloat in the midst of the turbulent waters at our heads.”

Irene Sanchez, executive director of the Western New York Coalition Farmworker Serving Agencies, also urged support for all—including immigrant communities.

“Our laborers, farmworkers, construction workers, parents, neighbors and friends, we see you. They deserve more than recognition. They deserve protection, dignity, respect, and (to live) in no fear,” said Sanchez. “When we support all workers, regardless of where they come from, regardless of the language that they speak, (and) regardless of the color of their skin, the entire community stands together.”

Standing alongside members of the roundtable, Evans called on the city to ‘stand ROC solid’—a mantra declared by the administration in defense of the city’s most vulnerable residents against the federal government’s moves.

“The Executive Branch in Washington has adopted a strategy of creating chaos so they can ignore the principles of democracy and dictate changes that would never withstand the scrutiny of consensus-building or representative government,” said Evans. “‘Stand ROC Solid’ is the rallying cry for Rochester’s many and diverse communities of conscience not to be distracted by this chaos.”

Updates and developments of the Roc Resilience Foundation are to be posted on the Stand ROC Solid website.

Narm Nathan is a Rochester Beacon contributing writer and a member of the Oasis Project’s inaugural cohort.

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