Shawn Cannizzarro
For Shawn Cannizzarro, advocacy is all about helping people get the help they need. In February 2023, Shawn traveled from Claremont to testify in support of Medicaid expansion. As a person in recovery and the owner of two recovery homes, Shawn knows just how critical health insurance is to those seeking treatment. “My friend was waiting on the list for a ‘free bed’ as they call it, and he overdosed and died before he got that bed. He didn’t have insurance.” Shawn’s credits his exceptional advocacy efforts to his relationship with New Futures, saying they help remind him when hearings are coming and provide gas cards to help offset the cost of traveling to and from Concord. “I think of New Futures as this great big organization, but I come here, and it’s just people helping people.”