Thank you to Moms Demand Action and the organizers of today’s March for OUR Lives for giving the community an opportunity to come together and take a stand in support of common-sense gun reforms.

Thank you to the Cheektowaga Police Department for hosting ConnectLife blood donation. If you want to help save lives, please consider making an appointment at ConnectLifeGiveBlood.org or call 716-529-4270. Donating blood will enter you into a drawing to win a kayak, Yeti cooler, bicycle shop voucher, or NYS Parks Pass!

It was my honor to present this certificate honoring Depew residents Sean and Corey Cannon who fearlessly entered a smoke-filled home to rescue a sleeping elderly woman from a fire. Thank you, Corey and Sean for your selfless act of bravery and kindness. And congratulations on your new baby!

I’m thrilled to see the new all-inclusive playground open in West Dawson Park in the Village of Depew! Along with the inclusive playground that I helped open in Stiglmeier Park in 2020, we are making sure that our local public spaces can serve all our children, including those with limited mobility.

Great turnout at the Lancaster and Cheektowaga Fourth of July parades! It was my pleasure to march alongside my colleagues in government Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, Deputy Executive Maria Whyte, County Legislator Tim Meyers, Legislator Frank Todaro, Rep. Brian Higgins, and Supervisor Melissa Hartman. Thank you to all who came out to celebrate.

It was my pleasure to announce that I have secured $25,000 for Lord of Life to continue its Matthew's Table program of free, monthly dinners for those in need in our community.

I’m thrilled to announce that I have secured $140,000 for the Village of Sloan for: sidewalks in Griffith Park, resurfacing of ball courts, new equipment for the Sloan Active Hose Company, and community programs like the free summer concert series. These new amenities will make this amazing village even more desirable, walkable, and safe for everyone.

Happy to help out Anna M. Reinstein Memorial Library. As many of us no longer need CDs, DVDs, or other physical media in the streaming era, put those items to good use by donating them to your local library.

Thank you to the Center for Elder Law & Justice for inviting me to speak and raise awareness of Elder Abuse Day. And thank you to CELJ and Erie County Senior Services for all that you do for our seniors.Together, by looking out for our elders, checking in on them, and speaking out, we can end the scourge of elder abuse. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to use my position to bolster the ombudsman program and enact other policies to protect older New Yorkers.

Congratulations to Joe and Michael Zanghi for reaching 50 years of running a family barber shop in the Village of Depew. They have an incredible story, and their family has done a lot for our community.
It was my pleasure to present a proclamation to recognize this incredible anniversary. Here’s hoping they stay in business another 50 years.

What an incredible showing in celebration of Juneteenth. Juneteenth is the day we celebrate the emancipation of enslaved African Americans, which did not happen until 2 1/2 years after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. It reminds us of the importance of freedom and equality and the struggle to overcome oppression. Thank you to Governor Kathy Hochul, Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado, AG Leticia James, and all of my colleagues in government who came out to celebrate and honor the memories of the Buffalo 10.

Ran into these two amazing women of law enforcement at the parade - our US Attorney Trini Ross and NYS Trooper Jenny Bryman. Thank you, ladies, for keeping our community safe!

There’s no time like Easter weekend to visit The Broadway Market. We missed it for a couple of years because of COVID, but the market was renovated last year and is looking better than ever.

It was my pleasure to celebrate Arbor Day in the Village of Depew. Trees are so important for our supporting our environment, fighting climate change, and beautifying our parks. That’s why I helped secure $200,000 in the state budget to help local governments retree areas that were damaged by invasive species, such as the emerald ash borer.

I’m honored to have received an award from Embrace Western New York for my efforts to support the LBGTQ+ community through my work in the Assembly.

It was my pleasure to speak to the International Council of Machinists convention. Labor unions fight for working folks and are the bedrock of the middle class. I’m proud to stand with all of our brothers and sisters of labor.

Thank you to all the hard-working volunteers and members of my staff who cleaned up Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve for I Love My Park Day. Our public lands are some of our most precious resources, and it was my pleasure to help make them even more beautiful.

What a wonderful night at the Western NY Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO Appreciation Awards Dinner. Buffalo is Union Strong!

Thanks to disability service providers like Arc Erie-County, people with disabilities are able to work, make important contributions to our community, and reach their full potential. It was my pleasure to stand with them this morning at the Broadway Market to discuss funding that we provided and legislation that we’re considering to help them better serve Western New Yorkers with different abilities. The People Inc.

It was my pleasure to break ground on the new Veterans Park at Nob Hill on Memorial Day, alongside Senator Timothy Kennedy, Councilman Brian Pilarski, Councilmember Brian Nowak and members of the Francis J. Donovan American Legion Post 1626. This park will give local veterans and Gold Star families a place to contemplate the enormous sacrifice made by fallen warriors like Cheektowaga native PFC Neil Bateman, who gave his life to save his brothers in arms. It’s my honor to have secured funding to help honor our community’s selfless war heroes. I extend my deepest and eternal gratitude to all those who have served and sacrificed.

I had a great time marching in the Pride parade. It was fabulous to see all of WNY come out and show its support for inclusion and diversity in our community.

Congratulations to Buffalo Niagara International Airport on its two new food offerings - Bocce Club Pizza and BURGERFI - and new Sun Country Airlines direct flights to Minneapolis. These new amenities will give more options for local travelers and encourage more outside travelers to choose WNY.

Assemblymember Monica Wallace presents a check for $140,000 to Cheektowaga-Sloan school district Board of Education Vice President Claire Ferrucci, her husband Village of Sloan Mayor Thomas Ferrucci (center), and Deputy Mayor Eric Czubaj at the Thursday, July 7 concert in Griffith Park. Much of the funding will support new amenities in the park and future village programming, including the free summer concert series in Sloan.

Bellevue Fire Company Board of Commissioners Chairman Jim Havernick, Assemblymember Monica Wallace, First Assistant Chief Kevin Hofner, Chief Greg Gaczewski, and Commissioner Gabe Casucci post in front of one of two ATVs that Bellevue Fire Company purchased with $75,000 in state funding secured by Assemblymember Wallace.

I had a wonderful time addressing the State of the Towns and Villages at the The Lancaster Depew Elma Chamber of Commerce's breakfast yesterday. It was great to hear from local elected officials and business leaders on their recent accomplishments and the challenges facing small businesses.

It was my pleasure to recognize former Chief Stonebraker for his nearly four decades of service with the Lancaster Fire Department. Thank you, Chief Stonebraker, for everything that you’ve done for our community. I hope you enjoy your well-earned retirement.

Renee Christian spent months advocating tirelessly for the Fair Pay for Home Care Act, and I'm proud to have helped pass a budget that delivers for folks like Renee.
The 2022-23 state budget provides millions to significantly raise the wages of home care workers, who are skilled and essential but were severely underpaid. These raises will boost their standards of living and help combat a worker shortage in this industry that has hit seniors and people with special needs hard.

The week of March 12 was Girl Scout Week, in recognition of the scouts' birthday.
Alyssa Kornacki of Girl Scouts of Western New York made a wonderful display at the Lancaster Historical Society to inspire young children and to teach them about the local Girl Scouts’ herstory.

It was my pleasure to donate $500 to the Variety Kids Telethon to support amazing organizations like Oshei Childrens Hospital that help wonderful kids.
I challenged all other elected officials across Erie County and Western New York to open their hearts and donate to a truly great cause.

A sports bra is an essential piece of equipment for every girl who wants to play sports. That’s why Victory Sports Global Outreach Inc. and The Sports Bra Project have teamed up to ensure that lack of resources does not prevent any young women in WNY from playing sports.
It was my pleasure to learn more about the amazing work these organizations are doing, along with the United Way of Buffalo & Erie County and Miss New York Sydney Park.

Thank you to U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand for visiting the Cheektowaga Senior Center to discuss her efforts to lower prescription drug prices. I’m proud to support legislation to lower drug prices at the state level. With support from our partners in federal government, we can make sure that every New Yorker can easily afford the medication they need to live healthy and productive lives.

There’s no time like Easter weekend to visit The Broadway Market.
I had a great time patronizing and getting to know the small businesses, like Alisa Officer's Unapologetic Coffee, which make this market such a special and unique place.

There’s no time like Easter weekend to visit The Broadway Market.
We missed it for a couple of years because of COVID, but the market was renovated last year and is looking better than ever.
No visit to the Broadway Market is complete without some pierogis, courtesy of Babcias Periogi.

Thank you to Pastor Giles, Billie Webster, and everyone at Buffalo Peacemakers for working so hard to prevent violence and encourage youth to make smart decisions. Their efforts to maintain order in places like the Galleria Mall and Town Park have been invaluable. It's my honor to secure funding to ensure their work in the community continues to be supported.

It was my pleasure to announce a new program to improve recruitment and diversity in law enforcement, funded through $75,000 in state funding that I secured. This new partnership between Cheektowaga Central High School, Cheektowaga Police Department, and Hilbert College will encourage students to consider, and help them pursue, careers in law enforcement. Studies show that more diverse police departments have better relations with the public they serve, which results in less tension, more cooperation with law enforcement, and safer conditions for all. So this program will improve trust and safety in local communities, support police recruitment, and provide new opportunities for young people. Thank you to the dedicated officers and educators who will make this happen.