The call to raise the minimum wage for fast food workers in New York to $15.00 an hour came Wednesday from local religious leaders, and workers in the industry.
They gathered at the South Wedge Mission to challenge state leaders to pay families a wage that meets basic needs.
The Rev. Marvin McMickle is president of Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School and member of the steering committee of the Rochester anti-poverty task force.
"I firmly believe that the key in the fight against poverty is a job with a decent wage, and that 15-dollars an hour for fast food workers is a step in that direction," he said.
Nineteen year old Joscline Harvey, a single mother who makes $8.75 an hour at Taco Bell, says $15 dollars an hour could make a world of difference for her.
"I would still have enough money to pay bills and go back to school, so that would mean a lot to me, and I would still be able to take care of my son, and even if I get sick, I can still take a day off and have extra money."
Religious leaders statewide recently called on lawmakers to make New York a leader in economic justice by helping to bring 180-thousand fast food workers in the state out of poverty.
The state's wage board is holding hearings on the matter and is expected to make recommendations on the minimum wage next month.