In October 2008, the State implemented a huge, prospective increase in Food Stamp payments to approximately 115,000 households across New York, thanks to the collaboration of Mercy Havens Legal Advocacy Program, the pro-bono council of Peter Vollmer and Gene Doyle, and the assistance of Mercy Haven participants. A participant of Mercy Havens Westbury Community Residence wrote a heart-felt note about his role in the class certification and working with Attorney-In-Charge John Castellano. The many were delivered by the few, he says. All of New York State is to get this great news because Mr. Castellano stuck his neck out and so did we. Something to eat is so important that we hope someday we will not even need Food Stamps because we have already made the correct steps.

What's next on the agenda? Securing retroactive benefits. If successful, the potential recovery by the appeal of the denial of class certification, submitted on January 9th 2009, is estimated to be approximately $58 million in Food Stamps for the time period of January 2005 through September 2008. The claim presented is that the only way the approximately 20,000 class members can see any retroactive Food Stamps is if the denial of class certification is reversed.