Press. voanews.com.
It's a state Dr.
Monica Vohra says many of her low-income, mainly immigrant and minority
patients are in when they arrive at Bread for the City's free medical clinic in
Washington, D.C. But lately, the internal medicine physician says that state
has been heightened.
"I think
the language out there has been disturbing. Some of it has retraumatized folks
who have been traumatized by previous policies. There is a sense of feeling
unsafe and insecure," Vohra said.
That's because
Vohra says many of her patients who have received health care coverage under
the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are not sure whether they will still have those
benefits under the new administration.
"It's
definitely something that is on our minds. We encourage people to get insurance
every day, and in the back of my mind I am thinking, 'What if this is not an
option soon?' "
Growing anxiety
While President
Donald Trump and the Republican-majority Congress look to repeal the ACA and
replace the federal program with one that the president has said will be
"great health care for much less money," many low-income Americans
are waiting to determine what any such change will mean for them.
On this day, the
lifelong resident of the nation's capital is waiting in line at Bread for the
City's food pantry for bread, chicken and other staples. The nonprofit
organization runs a free legal, medical and dental clinic and offers food,
clothing and other services to 10,000 Washington residents each month.
"It's one
of the beautiful places in D.C. It helps a lot of people here," Nabinett
said. "If I need counseling or food, I can always come here."
'It makes you
wonder'
Just weeks into
the Trump presidency, some at Bread for the City wonder what the new
administration will mean for those who struggle to make ends meet.
"I do have
concerns about the state of the poor and what services will be offered,"
said volunteer Patrice Ali. "Some of these programs, like Obamacare and
Medicaid, have been an integral part of people's survival, and it makes you
wonder if those programs will continue to get funding."
Ali benefited
from Bread for the City's food and clothing program when she was unemployed.
She says in recent years, she has noticed an unsettling trend in the United
States — a growing income gap and a growing disconnect between politicians and
the American public. "Since I have been in my 20s, I have noticed that the
gap has increasingly gotten larger, no matter who is in that position of power
or authority to run this country," she said.
Still, Ali says
she tries to remain optimistic.
"There is a
spirit of despair that has kind of come over people, knowing where this
administration may take them," said Ali. "I, on the other hand, am
leaning more toward hope."
York,
Pennsylvania, once a manufacturing hub that is still home to a number of
smaller factories, voted overwhelmingly in the 2016 presidential election for
Donald Trump, who promised to bring economic change to working-class Americans.
(A. Pande/VOA)
York,
Pennsylvania, once a manufacturing hub that is still home to a number of
smaller factories, voted overwhelmingly in the 2016 presidential election for
Donald Trump, who promised to bring economic change to working-class Americans.
(A. Pande/VOA)
Coping in York
A two-hour drive
north from the U.S. capital, Grace Geltrude is going through a walk-in freezer
at the York County Food Bank in York, Pennsylvania.
The city, once a
manufacturing hub that is still home to a number of smaller factories, voted
overwhelmingly for Trump, who promised to bring economic change to
working-class Americans.
"It is very
important because cost of living goes up all the time. We have a 3-year-old in
the home. There used to be 13 people in the house at one time," Geltrude
said, while looking through a box of canned products at the pantry.
Last year, the
nonprofit York County Food Bank distributed more than 900,000 kilograms of food
to local churches and agencies that work with the neediest families in southern
Pennsylvania.
"I think it
is an eye-opening experience when you come back from lunch and you see people
who are outside of our building lined up for blocks to receive the food in all
kinds of weather," said Krout-Althoff. "We go through life with
blinders."
Day-to-day focus
She says some
low-income residents have expressed concern about the uncertainty surrounding
the ACA and the new administration's plans for programs like Medicare and
Medicaid, but that most are more concerned about day-to-day survival —
"how they are going to feed their family, how are they going to pay their
bills. I also think they have been discouraged for so long that it doesn't
really matter to them who is in control [of the government]."
For now, York
resident Geltrude is just focused on filling in the gaps. She has relied on the
food bank, welfare assistance and a local health insurance program when her
paycheck and her husband's Social Security check have fallen short.
"I couldn't
afford the insurance any other way, with the bills and all, taking care of a
vehicle. I mean, it does get costly," Geltrude noted. "And without
some of these programs, people are struggling."
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