Moms for Mullock Listening Session Highlights Family, Education Issues
Photo by Ashley Ward
BY ASHLEY WARD | For AC JosepH Media
GALLOWAY — An estimated more than 75 South Jersey residents gathered at Stockton University on Wednesday, September 9th to discuss issues affecting families, caregivers, educators and people with disabilities as the November election approaches.
The Moms for Mullock Community Listening Session, held at Stockton’s Campus Center Theatre, brought together South Jersey families, educators and community advocates to discuss six priorities: disability rights, economic security, health care and caregiving, housing and transportation, justice, and public education.
Cape May Mayor Zack Mullock is a Democrat running for the New Jersey Congressional District 2 seat against incumbent Republican Jeff Van Drew. The event was hosted by Moms for Mullock in partnership with the South Jersey Democratic Women’s Forum.
Photo of panelists Left to Right: Kaleem Shabazz, Brenda Brathwaite, Donald Campbell, Maura Collinsgru, Laura Gaffney, Rev. Dr. Julia Hankerson, Susan Coll-Guedes and Zack Mullock by Ashley Ward
For attendees, the discussion was less about one issue and more about how decisions made by elected officials can affect their families and communities.
Gloria Seel, a mother of one and a candidate for Absecon City Council, attended the event to hear from the panelists and discuss issues affecting children and families. “I’m a mom of one, and for me, I think about what’s happening in education and in school and the opportunities my son is going to have,” Seel said.
Education was one of the major concerns discussed during the event. Brianna Priest, a special education teacher, said she wants to see more funding for education, particularly for special education departments.
“I’m really interested in providing funds, not only for education as a whole, but for the special ed departments as well because it has been lacking,” Priest said.
The panel included six community advocates and professionals who each addressed one of the session’s six priorities.
Donald Campbell, executive director of the Atlantic Center for Independent Living, spoke about disability rights and inclusion from his own experience living independently with cerebral palsy.
Brenda Brathwaite, a senior board director with the New Jersey National Education Association, spoke about public schools and the resources students and families need.
Maura Collinsgru, policy and advocacy director for New Jersey Citizen Action, addressed economic security for families.
Laura Gaffney, director of Family Support Services at Durand Inc., focused on housing, transportation and independent living.
Rev. Dr. Julia Hankerson, a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist, spoke about justice and equal treatment.
The last speaker was Susan Coll-Guedes, executive director of Moms for Mullock, who focused on health care, Medicaid and caregiving. She also spoke about her son, Alex, who has Down syndrome, and how her family’s experiences shaped her involvement in disability advocacy and shared how “Medicaid makes it possible for Alex to live with Mom and Dad.”
Photo of Susan Coll-Guedes speaking by Ashley Ward
For Anjail Shabazz, a mother and grandmother who attended the session, the conversation also connected to the importance of people making their voices heard through voting. “People don’t realize how important going out to vote and voicing your opinions is until they don’t have it anymore,” Shabazz said.
Mary Lou Jami, a member of the South Jersey Democratic Women’s Forum, mother and grandmother, said she worries about the issues her grandchildren will face as they grow up. “I worry about my grandchildren. As a woman, I had more rights than my granddaughters do today,” Jami said.
For Jami, concerns about families extend beyond one policy area. She said basic needs such as food, transportation, health care and human rights all need attention.
Photo of attendees by Ashley Ward
The range of concerns raised during the session reflected the different experiences of the people in the room, from parents thinking about their children’s futures to educators working with students, caregivers supporting family members and people with disabilities advocating for independence.
As the election approaches, attendees said they want the issues discussed at the session to remain part of the conversation and for voters to pay attention to how decisions made by elected officials affect families in their communities.
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