Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick presents local business with Empire Award for community service

Elijah Reichlin-Melnick

February 11, 2022

NYACK, NY - Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick presented a New York State Senate Empire Award to Carl Cameau, owner of Hudson Spectacles in downtown Nyack, recognizing his contributions to the Rockland County community.

Hudson Spectacles has made a tremendous impact in the community. In 2021, Cameau donated 240 eyeglass frames to survivors of the Evergreen Court Adult Home fire which took the life of volunteer firefighter Jared Lloyd and a resident of the adult home. He has instituted a “Vision Scholarship” program in partnership with the Rockland County Pride Center, The Center for Safety and Change, and the Nyack Center, where Cameau offers eye exams and custom glasses for members of those communities that might not be able to afford these necessary services. Over the holidays, Cameau partnered with Kenyatta Jones-Arietta of R2M Realty and bought new toys to support the Nyack Center’s toy drive to support children in the community. 

State Senator Elijah Reichlin-Melnick (D-Rockland/Westchester) said, “Mr. Cameau and Hudson Spectacles have quickly become a strong partner in community-building here in Nyack, and our entire community is benefitting from the support he provides to our neighbors. It was an honor to provide Mr. Cameau and Hudson Spectacles with this Empire Award from the New York State Senate.”

“It is truly an honor to be recognized with the NYS Senate Empire Award. I am proud to have a business in Nyack that provides a needed service, and supports our diverse community & events,” said Carl Cameau, owner of Hudson Spectacles. “I feel very thankful for this recognition. It’s an honor to represent my family, Haitian culture, and community especially during Black History Month. My grandparents would be so proud.”

Hudson Spectacles is a community-oriented, family-friendly, full-service optometric practice and boutique optical retailer that provides comprehensive eye exams, DMV vision tests, and partners with local ocular specialists to co-manage patients’ eye health.