Senator Skoufis Presents Two Haverstraw Businesses with Senate Empire Award

**PRESS RELEASE**
Senator Skoufis Presents Two Haverstraw Businesses with Senate Empire Award 

Senator James Skoufis (D-Hudson Valley) presented two small businesses in Haverstraw with the State Senate’s highest business honor, the Empire Business Award. The Empire Business Award is given to exceptional businesses that go out of their way to give back to the community. 

The first award Senator Skoufis presented was to Union Restaurant in Haverstraw. Union Restaurant is a staple in the Haverstraw community as both a center of the community and a pillar of a small business that gives back. They started the “WeCare Foundation” which partners with many local charities to support them through events hosted at the restaurant.  

The restaurant was founded by two immigrants, Jose David Martinez, a self-taught chef, and Paulo Feteira. Both immigrants to this country, they built this business from the ground up, now operating one of the most popular restaurants in Haverstraw, which is regularly named one of the top restaurants in the Hudson Valley.

Senator Skoufis said, “Union’s success not only deserves recognition in its own right, but Mr. Martinez and Mr. Feteira both deserve recognition for how they’ve have used that success to give back to the community. Through the We Care foundation and their regular work with different non-profits across the town and Rockland county, these owners have truly shown what it means to be a business with heart.”

The second award was given to Centro De Amigos Social Adult Day Center in Haverstraw.

Centro de Amigos is an Adult Day Care Center that caters specifically to the Latino community of the village of Haverstraw. It provides a vital service to these adults, giving them a place a community to be a part of, including a number of innovate programs to keep members engaged and active. All of the food served is from local Haverstraw business, further adding to their commitment to give back to the community.

“Centro de Amigos aims to make their members feel at home and enjoy an active social life with numerous diverse event and activities offered everyday,” said Senator Skoufis. “I was proud to present them with the New York State Senate Empire Award for being a small business of excellence in this district. They deserve this award for all they do for the local community.”

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