Sincerely, Joe

Hundreds of people write letters, emails and direct messages to Joe Biden every day, with questions, looking for support and leadership, or offering suggestions and ideas. Americans are longing for empathetic leadership and a president who listens to and understands their problems. Joe knows the power of a simple act of kindness — it’s animated his entire career in public life. “Sincerely, Joe” is a conversation with the American people about the challenges they face, the values we share, and the progress we can make if we stand united.

Good Afternoon,

I received a text that asked us to share our stories during this time of uncertainty. One thing is certain; America needs to eat! And I protect what they eat.

I am one of the Food Safety Program Managers for a global food distribution company servicing the New York Metropolitan Area. I work out of the Jersey City facility located in Jersey City, monitoring and executing the food safety programs that keep 500,000 square feet of food safe for consumption in the New York City/New Jersey metropolitan area. Our drivers, with courage and pride, are now delivering food to many of the hospitals in NYC that are overworked and overwhelmed in tending to the many who have contracted the coronavirus.

I’m sure many people didn’t even know that people like myself are here every day as an essential worker to protect their food supply. But I am not alone. We have inbound drivers who bring the product from our suppliers, receivers who monitor the temperatures and quality of EVERY SINGLE PALLET that comes through our doors. Put away associates who get it from the trucks to the dock to the proper temperature holding zones. Selectors pick each order with care and get it onto the trucks to get out to those hospitals, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and many more.

In these trying times, we are donating as much food as we can to those in need and assuring it’s safe for consumption.

We are just another part of the essential workforce that is here for the American public.

When you win the election, you will be confronted with a task as large as the one that faced Churchill. You will meet this challenge head on, on day one and the American People will be comforted by the fact that you will take your knowledge and direction from the most knowledgeable team you can assemble. Experts in the medical field, scientists and many more.

You got this Joe! My Lawn sign has been up as soon as you had them for sale and it will stay up until victory for the American people in November has been assured when you are elected President!

Sincerely,

Susan Sahai

Ridgewood, N.J.

Dear Susan,

I received your message and appreciate you sharing your story during this anxious time in our history. Courageous, hardworking Americans motivate me every day to work to ensure that families and workers are protected as we see our way through the worst public health crisis our country has faced in generations. And I’m confident we will because of our workers on the frontlines.

I’ve said from day one of this campaign and throughout my career, American workers are the heart and soul of this nation and too often, we take them and the work they do for granted. They are doctors and nurses, maintenance crews and delivery drivers, grocery store and restaurant workers, and so much more. Like your team of food safety workers and all those in the food distribution industry, millions of Americans are stepping up and performing essential services at great personal risk. I’m hopeful that through this crisis, the public begins to recognize the millions of unsung heroes, like food safety program managers who defend our food system and the health and safety of the American people.

We have to not only acknowledge and thank you for your sacrifice, but also fight for your safety and economic security.

Without delay, it is critical that we provide all essential workers with personal protective equipment and testing so that you can do your job safely, establish and enforce health and safety standards for workplaces, provide paid sick leave to all workers so they don’t have to choose between a paycheck and their job, and enact premium pay for workers like you who are putting themselves at risk. Additionally, it should not take a public health crisis to give our essential workers the long-term support they deserve. We need to raise wages, guarantee quality, affordable health care, provide free tuition for public higher education, and encourage unionization and collective bargaining.

Families all across America are rightly concerned about what life looks like after a crippling public health crisis. As we prepare for the aftermath and plan for recovery, we can’t just build back to the way it was before. We have to transform our economy to be more inclusive and more just. You and your colleagues who get up every day and do extraordinary work on the frontlines deserve support that is as bold and courageous as the work you’re doing. Your resilience gives me hope that if we stand united in our support for frontline workers, we will overcome this and build a strong, more inclusive middle class.

These are the moments when Americans show up. We show up for our families, our loved ones, and our neighbors. We show up with courage and kindness and empathy. That’s the soul of America we’re fighting for and I am humbled to have your support.

Thanks again for writing, Susan. Your story is important and your work to keep Americans safe is invaluable.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden, Jr.