Brooklyn, NY – Assemblywoman Davila gathered local elected representatives Senator Salazar, Councilman Reynoso along with United Revival Mennonite Church and Somos Community Care together this Thursday morning for a press conference to announce the opening of the first testing site in Bushwick. Testing began on Tuesday, May 26^th at United Revival Mennonite Church, in close proximately to Wyckoff Heights Medical Center where 80-year-old women lost her life on March 13^th after being infected with COVID-19.  The testing in Bushwick is scheduled to go on for two weeks, residents in the neighborhood are encouraged to make an appointment however, the facility is accepting walk-ins.

It doesn’t stop there, not only has the church been able to occupy the space for better means of ensuring community members are getting tested, Somos Community Care’s partnership has also allowed for food distribution to be given to families in need. Let’s be reminded that this particular area in Bushwick is comprised of immigrants who have little means to support their families.

“I would like to thank Governor Andrew Cuomo for making testing a priority for communities in need along with United Revival Mennonite Church and Somos Community Care for their commitment. We are truly saddened by all the lives COVID-19 has claimed in communities like mine, Hispanics have been neglected for far too long, NYC Comptroller found that 75% of the frontline workers are minorities; Hispanics make up 40% of the grocery and convenience store employee, 60% of building services employees and many have essential jobs that simply do not allow them to work from home. There are so many alarming facts as to how Hispanics have been heavily affected by the virus,” said Assemblywoman Maritza Davila.

The Assemblywoman went on to mention that “Hispanic workers, many of whom are paid hourly in jobs that will not allow for social distancing – are among the hardest hit economically. In which 61% of Hispanic adults say they or a family member experience job loss. We are in a pandemic and until we find a vaccine and make our way to return to normality, our communities should not have to travel to another location to be tested or admitted to a hospital. To quote Governor Cuomo, Test, Test, Test,” said Assemblywoman Maritza Davila

State Senator Julia Salazar said: "Our communities have been devastated in this pandemic and I'm glad that Bushwick residents will now be able to access testing from trusted community institutions. I want to thank SOMOS Community Care and United Revival Mennonite Church for their generosity with their space and resources and look forward to working with Assemblywoman Maritza Davila to advocate on behalf of Bushwick’s working families.”

"Thanks to the partnership between Assemblywoman Davila, SOMOS Community Care, and The United Revival Mennonite Church, Bushwick now has its first COVID-19 testing site. As one of the keys in stopping the spread of COVID-19, we need to ensure that all New Yorkers have easy, free, widespread access to testing -- this is even more pressing in communities of color, like Bushwick, that have been ravaged by this pandemic. I am grateful for Assemblywoman Davila's leadership in bringing Bushwick its first testing site," said Council Member Antonio Reynoso

“We are pastoring not only our congregation but our beloved surrounding communities; we lead mainly in Bushwick, East New York and Queens. What an honor to serve with Assemblywoman Davila, and getting access to SOMOS Healthcare via our Hispanic Clergy of NYC led by State Senator Ruben Diaz Sr. As Mennonites here in NYC, serving alongside our community is our divine Christ-centered calling. Pioneering the first testing site like this one in Bushwick is blessing and we hope can assist in the reopening of the City,” said Moises Angustia, Pastor of United Revival Mennonite Church

“We are SOMOS which literally means "WE ARE" in Spanish. We may not be able solve this virus, but we know that by serving in our local communities, we are doing our part to help control the pandemic. People from immigrant cultures typically live-in multigenerational homes with infants and grandparent living together and sharing common spaces. Our communities are made up of people with jobs that have high exposure, they are the grocery store workers, the janitors, the orderlies, etc. All who live in these multigenerational homes run the risk of bringing the virus back to their families including those elderly and high-risk persons. By being able to offer testing, people are able to know how they can interact with the family members to keep them safe. They can also be cleared to return to work since we know that they live paycheck to paycheck and need to be able to work. It is truly an honor for Somos Community Care to provide free testing services in the heart of our communities through its churches,” said Dr. Lidia Virgil, Chief Operating Officer of Somos Community Care

Testing in Bushwick is open until Tuesday, June 9^th from 9:00am – 5:00pm at United Revival Mennonite Church located at 390 Melrose Street in Brooklyn. To Schedule an appointment, call 1-833-SOMOS NY, walk ins are welcome.