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20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know

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20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know

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Some data is 10+ years old, but this can be a good starting point for guiding further research.

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20 Facts About U.S. Inequality that Everyone Should Know

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Social Justice Resource Center: Facts & Figures

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Social Justice Resource Center: Facts & Figures

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Social Justice Resource Center " Facts & Figures

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The mission of the Social Justice Resource Center is to link faith to action by providing information & resources on the social issues of our time.

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NYC Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee

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NYC Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee

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Introduction

Racial Disproportionality refers to the overrepresentation of children of color in child and family serving systems, and can be attributed to multiple factors including racism, poverty, less than responsive organizational culture and service strategies, and inadequate resources.

Like other child and family serving systems across the country, ACS, has undertaken an effort to address the systemic issues that contribute to disproportionality.

The ACS Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee supports the development of a child welfare and juvenile justice system that responds respectfully and effectively to people of all racial and cultural backgrounds.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee is to promote racial equity throughout child welfare, juvenile justice, and early care, and education systems. We do so by:

Developing and implementing specific actions that promote equitable outcomes for children and families of color;

Building the capacity of Children's Services' staff at all levels to respond effectively to structural racism and individual bias and promote culturally competent policy and practice;

Partnering with community and other systems that play a key role in the achievement of positive service outcomes to promote racial equity and cultural competence, and;

Informing policies, training, hiring practices, and program practice guidelines where needed to ensure continuity and sustainability in promoting equitable outcomes for children, families, and staff.

History & Overview

ACS established the Taskforce on Racial Equity and Cultural Competency in 2006 to support the development of a system of directly provided and contracted services that responds respectfully and effectively to people of all racial and cultural backgrounds. In 2011, the Task Force was renamed the Racial Equity and Cultural Competence Committee, and includes a diverse representation of Children's Services staff, and external stakeholders and professionals committed to achieving its goals.

Features
Historical Child Welfare Timeline Exhibit: A Transformational Experience

Implicit Bias - Dr. Shawn Marsh Part 1

Implicit Bias - Dr. Shawn Marsh Part 2
The Story of the Racial Equity & Cultural Competence Committee

Racial Equity Research & Reports

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Racial Disproportionality refers to the overrepresentation of children of color in child and family serving systems, and can be attributed to multiple factors including racism, poverty, less than responsive organizational culture and service strategies, and inadequate resources. Like other child and family serving systems across the country, ACS, has undertaken an effort to address the systemic issues that contribute to disproportionality.

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Years of racist policies and unjust practices among institutions, including many City institutions, have led to worse health outcomes in communities of color than in White communities. The NYC Department of Health launched the Race to Justice internal reform effort to help our staff learn what they can do to better address racial health gaps and improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers.

As part of this effort, the Department of Health is:

Educating and training our staff in how racism and other systems of oppression can affect health care.

Studying how racism has impacted our past work and creating new policies to lessen that impact.

Collaborating with local communities to search for more ways to counter systemic injustices.

To learn more about specific Race to Justice activities in your community and how you can help the City better address racial health gaps, email racetojustice@health.nyc.gov.

Additional Resources

More Information

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Years of racist policies and unjust practices among institutions, including many City institutions, have led to worse health outcomes in communities of color than in White communities. The NYC Department of Health launched the Race to Justice internal reform effort to help our staff learn what they can do to better address racial health gaps and improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers.

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New index reveals significant racial inequities even in the most prosperous cities and metros; provides data to help leaders develop targeted strategies for inclusive prosperity
By Sarah Treuhaft, Abbie Langston, Justin Scoggins, Joanna Lee, and Manuel Pastor
Racial equity is the defining issue of our time. The brutal murder of George Floyd - amidst a pandemic disproportionately harming the health and livelihoods of Black, Latinx, and Indigenous people - put dismantling structural racism at the center of our national policy debate.

Against this long overdue nationwide reckoning, community leaders are searching for policy solutions that can transform systems and structures and make meaningful progress toward racial equity. Disaggregated data at the local level is crucial to this endeavor: achieving equity requires targeted solutions that address structural and institutional racism, eliminate the barriers that prevent people from thriving, and provide the resources and opportunities that people need to reach their full potential. And data that reveals which groups are being excluded, by how much, and in what policy areas is an essential ingredient to develop effective strategies that match the scale of the challenge.

The Racial Equity Index is the nation's first-ever tool designed to support communities in advancing equity solutions by measuring the state of equity in the 100 largest U.S. cities, the 150 largest metros, and all 50 states on key indicators of prosperity and inclusion by race. The Index is an integrated and holistic measure to compare the state of equity across different places, developed in response to the demand for a more comprehensive, summary picture of how communities were doing on our equity metrics. It provides a snapshot of how well a given place is performing on racial equity compared to its peers - comparing cities to cities, regions to regions, and states to states. Because equity means both closing racial gaps and ensuring that everyone is doing well, the Racial Equity Index is based on two components: an inclusion score that indicates the extent of racial gaps in outcomes for a series of nine equity indicators (wages, unemployment, poverty, educational attainment, disconnected youth, school poverty, air pollution, commute time, and housing burden) and a prosperity score that indicates how well the population is doing overall on those same indicators.

This analysis shares insights from our analysis of the Index for cities and metros. Please see Introducing the Racial Equity Index to learn more about the Index and how to use it and explore the data for your community with the Index data tool.

Key findings from the Racial Equity Index include:

1. Every community is hindered by systematic racial inequities. Even in the best-performing places on the Index, there are significant and preventable racial inequities.

2. Inclusive prosperity remains elusive among America's metros and cities. It is very rare for communities to have high levels of prosperity, in terms of overall performance on the indicators, and high levels of inclusion, in terms of low racial disparities.

3. Robust economic growth alone does not bring about racial equity and inclusion. While some of the regions with the most dynamic economies perform well on the Index, overall there is a weak relationship between traditional measures of economic development such as job growth, and racial equity and inclusion.

4. Achieving racial equity requires improving conditions in the population centers where most people of color live. Few of the cities with the largest Black and Latinx populations perform well overall on the Index or on Black or Latinx prosperity.

5. Racial equity is not a zero-sum proposition. Most of the cities and regions with the best outcomes for communities of color also have good outcomes for their White residents, and vice versa.

Each of these is further described below.

1. Every community is hindered by systematic racial inequities.

The Index reveals just how far all cities and metros have to go to correct systems that are perpetuating racial inequities. Because it is a relative Index, even places that are the top performers have significant racial inequities.

Take the region of San Jose, California. The tech epicenter has the highest score on the Racial Equity Index because of its strong overall performance in terms of wages, poverty, educational attainment, and school poverty and relatively lower racial disparities on indicators of air pollution, commute time, educational attainment, and unemployment.

Yet, there are large racial inequities in San Jose. For example, even with the highest share of Black college graduates of any region (37 percent), there is a 23 percentage point Black-White disparity in terms of educational attainment, and the White-Latinx disparity is 44 percentage points (60 and 16 percent, respectively). And among college graduates, Black and Latinx workers earn $12-$17 less per hour than White and Asian or Pacific Islander workers. Note that while the regional median wage for the Asian or Pacific Islander population as a whole is $43, median wages vary significantly within that group

2. Inclusive prosperity remains elusive among America's metros and cities.

Equitable communities both have strong overall performance on indicators of well-being and low racial disparities, which is why the Racial Equity Index combines a prosperity score and an inclusion score. But what we see is that very few places are both doing well on prosperity and inclusion.

The metros that have the best overall performance on the indicators are not the most inclusive and tend to have wide racial disparities. Among top 25 regions on the prosperity score, none are also in the top 25 on the inclusion score, and only seven even make the top 100 on inclusion. Eighteen of them are in the bottom 50 on inclusion, including the Minneapolis-St. Paul region, which has the sixth highest prosperity score, but is second from the bottom in terms of its inclusion score.

3. Robust economic growth alone does not bring about racial equity and inclusion.

Over the past decade coming out of the Great Recession, growth in jobs and economic output has been concentrated in a small number of large metros, and within those places economic gains have largely gone to investors, corporations, and a small number of highly-educated knowledge economy workers.

A look at post-recession job growth in regions in relation to the Racial Equity Index underscores the weak relationship between job growth and racial equity. While there is some correlation between job growth and racial equity performance, with some high-growth metros like Austin, Denver, Raleigh, and San Jose performing well on the Index, the connection is not strong. Similarly, strong job growth does not drive positive outcomes for Black and Latinx residents. Of the 25 metros with the highest post-recession job growth, only seven of them were among the top 25 regions on prosperity for Black residents (Austin, Denver, Dallas, Fayetteville, Raleigh, San Jose, and San Antonio). And only three of them were among the top 25 regions on prosperity for Latinx residents (San Francisco, Austin, and Provo).

4. Achieving racial equity requires improving conditions in the population centers where most people of color live.

About 29 percent of Black people in the United States live in just 50 cities, underscoring the importance of integrating place-based and people-focused solutions to advance racial equity. The concentration of different racial/ethnic groups in certain regions, cities, and neighborhoods is in large part a consequence of systems and policies that produced and reinforced racial segregation - and the persistence of inequities in those places follows from a long history of disinvestment and deprivation. Some of the highest scoring cities on the Racial Equity Index have the smallest Black populations: In seven out of the top 10 performers, the Black population is significantly underrepresented compared to the national share (Albuquerque, Chandler, Henderson, Honolulu, Irvine, Reno, San Jose). Similarly, the Latinx population is underrepresented in six of the top 10 cities on the Index (Chesapeake, Henderson, Honolulu, Irvine, Virginia Beach, St. Petersburg).

Of the 12.9 million Black people living in the largest 100 cities, about 80 percent of them live in the 33 cities with at least 100,000 Black residents. Only two of these cities are among the top 20 performers on the Racial Equity Index (Nashville and Norfolk), and 10 are among the bottom 20 performers (Atlanta, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Cleveland, Dallas, Detroit, Houston, Memphis, Newark, and New York). Only two - Durham and Raleigh, which are in the same region - are among the top 20 performers for Black prosperity, and wide racial gaps in prosperity are evident in these places:

Similar trends hold for Latinx people. Among the 41 cities with at least 100,000 Latinx residents, only two (Albuquerque and San Francisco) rank in the top 20 prosperity scores for the Latinx population, while 12 (Charlotte, Dallas, Fresno, Hialeah, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Bernardino, Santa Ana, and Newark) are in the bottom 20.

The cities with the best outcomes for Latinx residents tend to have relatively small Latinx populations: among the top 20 performers on Latinx prosperity, nine were among the 20 cities with the smallest Latinx populations and only five have Latinx populations at 50,000. The same dynamics are found at the regional level.

In the 25 regions with the largest Latinx populations, only two ranked in the top 25 for regional prosperity scores on the Racial Equity Index (Boston and San Jose), and just three were among the top 25 performers for Latinx prosperity (Austin, San Francisco, and Washington DC). Even among those best performers, Latinx residents still face significant racial inequities on key indicators of prosperity.

5. Racial equity is not a zero-sum proposition.

Looking at the prosperity scores across racial/ethnic groups, we find that most of the cities and regions with the best outcomes for communities of color also have above-average outcomes for their White residents, and vice versa. Of the top 20 cities for prosperity for people of color, for example, all but two of them are in the top 40 for White prosperity, all but one are in the top 40 for Black prosperity (among the 16 with large enough Black populations to generate Black prosperity scores), and all but one are in the top 40 for Latinx prosperity.

And of the top 20 cities for White prosperity, six - Anchorage, Austin, Denver, Durham, Plano, and Raleigh - are also in the top 20 for Black prosperity (among the 16 with large enough Black populations to generate Black prosperity scores) and six are in the top 20 for Latinx prosperity (Anchorage, District of Columbia, Irvine, Plano, San Francisco, and Scottsdale). Only one - Dallas - falls in the bottom 20 for both Black and Latinx prosperity.

Making Progress on Racial Equity Will Require Tailored and Bold Solutions

Our analysis of the Racial Equity Index for cities and metros reveals that even the best performing places exhibit significant racial disparities, and even the places with the most economic success post-recession fall short on equity. At a time when Black, Latinx, Native American, and Pacific Islander communities are the hardest hit by another recession, it is imperative that leaders at all levels recognize that targeted, race-conscious strategies are necessary to bring about an inclusive recovery. Doing so will create tremendous benefits that cascade up and out to the advantage of an entire community. Equity is the path to prosperity: By developing solutions that are informed by and effectively reach the people most impacted by structural racism and economic inequality, we can build an equitable, prosperous future economy.

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The Racial Equity Index: A New Data Tool to Drive Local Efforts to Dismantle Structural Racism

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New index reveals significant racial inequities even in the most prosperous cities and metros; provides data to help leaders develop targeted strategies for inclusive prosperity By Sarah Treuhaft, Abbie Langston, Justin Scoggins, Joanna Lee, and Manuel Pastor Racial equity is the defining issue of our time.

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"a nonprofit research organization that believes decisions shaped by facts, rather than ideology, have the power to improve public policy and practice, strengthen communities, and transform people’s lives for the better." "trusted source for unbiased, authoritative insights that inform consequential choices about the well-being of people and places in the United States."

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TANF helps families make ends meet, but not if eligible families can't access it.

Evidence in Motion: See how Urban's work made a difference for people and communities across the country-and how we can help ignite change in your corner of the world. View

TANF helps families make ends meet, but not if eligible families can't access it.

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Data and evidence to advance upward mobility and equity | Urban Institute

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TANF helps families make ends meet, but not if eligible families can't access it. Evidence in Motion: See how Urban's work made a difference for people and communities across the country-and how we can help ignite change in your corner of the world.

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"America's most detailed report card on racial and economic equity."

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" Equity Atlas data underscores what we are seeing on the ground every day, and provides critical information for us to advocate for humane, equitable, common sense policy to keep people housed."

- Debra Ballinger, Monument Impact, Concord

In the Bay Area's Contra Costa County, our analysis found that 12,000 renter households would be at imminent risk of eviction if the county's eviction moratorium expired, with more waves of evictions close behind. This data on the magnitude of the risk helped the Raise the Roof coalition successfully urge the Board of Supervisors to extend the moratorium and rent freeze from July 15 to September 30, 2020.

Photo: Brooke Anderson Photography

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" Equity Atlas data underscores what we are seeing on the ground every day, and provides critical information for us to advocate for humane, equitable, common sense policy to keep people housed."

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Data

In working towards racial equity, it is very common to look for numbers and facts to help make the case, identify important starting points and/or track the results of work. This section includes resources that can help. Resources are organized into three sections: demographics and population data, statistics related to particular issues (for example, segregation, racial profiling), and results of attitude surveys (for example, research on Millennial's attitudes on race). For more information on how to create data, or how to use data to track progress, please look at the evaluation section of this site.

In this section:

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In working towards racial equity, it is very common to look for numbers and facts to help make the case, identify important starting points and/or track the results of work. This section includes resources that can help.

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Nonprofit organization founded as a coalition in the south, now headquartered in New York, with a mission to "build a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system."

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The Gathering for Justice is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 by Harry Belafonte after he witnessed a news report of a 5 year old black girl being handcuffed and arrested in her Florida classroom for "being unruly". The Gathering for Justice's mission is to build a movement to end child incarceration while working to eliminate the racial inequities that permeate the justice system. Read more...

In case you missed last week's town hall on police brutality and state violence, catch the recap with video clips h... https://t.co/Adc1ymbZmB

RT @ changethenypd: Today, starting at 11:30AM: help us pack the (virtual) court to ensure Gwen Carr, #EricGarner's mother & Ellisha Fl... https://t.co/h0PifVVztr

So proud that our Justice League NYC sister @ zansari8 was selected to be one of @ AfreGlobal's 2020 #AtlanticFellows... https://t.co/oFX7j7aXbA

RT @ Gather4Justice: "When the movement is strong, the music is strong." Our founder Mr. Harry Belafonte's words continue to ring true.... https://t.co/Kt8zKXYrEV

RT @ inspirejustice1: This townhall was explosive and needs to be heard/watched by all. You can still view on Justice League NYC Facebook... https://t.co/dKtOwiAFmJ

RT @ JooHyun_Kang: 📢Tues 8/4, 11:30am EDT: Help pack the *virtual* court for #EricGarner📢 6+ years later there's still qs abt failure... https://t.co/cKCEs0YsRx

It's been 1yr since a white supremacist opened fire in an #ElPaso Walmart, intent on killing "as many Mexicans as p... https://t.co/yOq6fuwODW

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The Gathering for Justice is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2005 by Harry Belafonte after he witnessed a news report of a 5 year old black girl being handcuffed and arrested in her Florida classroom for "being unruly".

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Resource listing of NYC organizations working to support, empower, and elevate LGBTQIA+ community members

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Mission: The Ali Forney Center houses and protects homeless LGBT youth living on the streets of New York. Our Street Outreach Team educates teens about safe sex and HIV prevention. We have grown to provide medical and mental health services. We also provide volunteer mentors, educational and career programs, life skills training and much more. Our goal is to not only provide food, water, and shelter: Our goal is to transform the lives of these young people so that they may reclaim their lives and never live on the streets again.

Website: http://www.aliforneycenter.org/get-involved/volunteer-opportunities/
Phone: 212-222-3427
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:

administrative assistance during work week

career/education mentor

tutor

conduct mock interviews (4-month commitment)

drop-in center help (multiple tasks, 3-month commitment)

food service/youth counselor (3-month commitment)

2x/month committees on events/fundraising

FYI:
interview and background check required

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: The Audre Lorde Project is a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming People of Color center for community organizing, focusing on the New York City area. Through mobilization, education and capacity-building, we work for community wellness and progressive social and economic justice. Committed to struggling across differences, we seek to responsibly reflect, represent and serve our various communities. Recognizing the full diversity of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Two-Spirit, Trans and Gender Non Conforming (LGBTSTGNC) people of color, and our collective histories of struggle against discrimination and other forms of oppression, the Audre Lorde Project has been established to serve as a home base that LGBTST peoples of African / Black/ Caribbean, Arab, Asian & Pacific Islander, Latina/o, and Native/Indigenous descent can use to organize, support, and advocate for our diverse communities.
What volunteers do:

committee work of 10 hours/month for 3 months (current committees are immigrant rights/interpreter training; anti-violence; Trans justice; membership)

administrative work

fundraising

outreach

special events

writing/editing

Borough: Manhattan and Brooklyn

Mission: The Brooklyn Community Pride Center provides services and support to the borough's LGBT+ community through original programming and partnerships with exemplary organizations. Across the spectrum from young people to elders, the Brooklyn Community Pride Center enables our community to actively participate in positive, life-affirming activities. We offer a distinctive choice for residents of New York City's largest borough to celebrate, heal, learn, create, organize, relax, socialize, and play.
What volunteers do:

fundraising

plan programs

transcribe oral histories

administrative assistance

front desk

database management

Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: At GLSEN, we want every student, in every school, to be valued and treated with respect, regardless of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. We believe that all students deserve a safe and affirming school environment where they can learn and grow. We accomplish our goals by working in hallways across the country -- from Congress and the Department of Education to schools and district offices in your community -- to improve school climate and champion LGBT issues in K-12 education. We conduct extensive and original research to inform our evidence-based solutions for K-12 education. We author developmentally appropriate resourcesfor educators to use throughout their school community. We partner with decision makers to ensure that comprehensive and inclusive safe schools policies are considered, passed and implemented. We partner with dozens of national education organizations to leverage our shared expertise into creating great schools and better opportunities for every student. We empower students to effect changeby supporting student-led efforts to positively impact their own schools and local communities. Every day GLSEN works to ensure that LGBTQ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. Together, we can transform our nation's K-12 schools into the safe and affirming environment all youth deserve.

Website: http://www.glsen.org/chapters/nyc/getinvolved
Email: newyorkcity@chapters.glsen.org
Signup form: http://newyorkcity.glsen.org/page/s/glsen-new-york-city-volunteer-application
Phone: n/a

What volunteers do:

support days of action like No Name Calling Week, Day of Silence, and Ally Week

table at events, conferences, or LGBT Pride events

support teachers through full-day or half-day professional development opportunities

fundraise (online solicitations, mailings, work events, write grant proposals)

community outreach (social media, press releases, tabling events, networking, public speaking)

graphic design

event planning

communications

school engagement

manage volunteers

Borough: all

Mission: Since its founding, Hetrick-Martin Institute has grown from a small, volunteer-led grass-roots advocacy organization into a leading professional provider of social support and programming for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or questioning (LGBTQ) youth. HMI youth members, ranging in age from 13 to 24, come from over 300 zip codes throughout all of New York City and the surrounding metropolitan area. They are of all colors and sizes, come from all kinds of backgrounds, and their enthusiasm and creativity is boundless.

assistHMI staff in serving dinner to our youth community (4:45 p.m. - 6 p.m)

monitor and assist in youth-services resource center (computer, resume, homework help) 1 day/week, M-F, 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

tutor in math, ASL, SAT prep 1-2 days/week commitment, M-F; 4 p.m. or 5:50 p.m.- 7:15 p.m.

graphic design

finance

fundraise

IT

staff development

photography

videography

plan events

join one-time special-event list

Mission: Since 1994, Immigration Equality has been proud to advocate for and represent lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ), and HIV-positive immigrants seeking safety, fair treatment, and freedom. As the only LGBTQ organization with a staff of immigration attorneys, Immigration Equality impacts both the individuals we serve and the immigration system as a whole. For more than 20 years, we have been focused on providing free direct legal services to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender,queer, and HIV-positive immigrants, including: asylum seekers forced to flee to the U.S. to find safety; LGBTQ immigrant and binational couples and familiesseparated by oceans; detainees trapped in immigration jail facilities; and undocumentedLGBTQ peopleliving in the shadows inside the U.S. Unlike in the U.S. criminal justice system, representation is not provided to individuals in immigration court. At Immigration Equality, we fundamentally believe in access to counsel.

Website: http://www.immigrationequality.org/volunteer
Signup form: http://imeq.force.com/volunteers/GW_Volunteers__VolunteersSignupFS
Phone: n/a
Email: info@immigrationequality.org
What volunteers do:

pro bono lawyers

translate documents for asylum applications, interpret in client interviews, interpret in court

make calls

photography

mailings

computer support

event support

bartend/waitstaff at events

graphic design

videography (shooting/editing)

Mission: Founded in 1973, Lambda Legal is the oldest and largest national legal organization whose mission is to achieve full recognition of the civil rights of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, transgender people and those with HIVthrough impact litigation, education and public policy work.
What volunteers do:

lawyers staff legal help desk, write amicus briefs, do legal research, serve as co-counsel

education

fundraising

community events

Borough: Manhattan office

Mission: Our mission is to increase the self-sufficiency of homeless LGBT youth, enabling them to go beyond the shelter system and transition into stable adult lives. We do this by providing case management, education services, life skills groups, community-building recreational activities, opportunities for self-expression, and support services for HIV+ youth. Our guiding principles are harm reduction, youth development, and empowerment. This is the place for young people to bring their problems. None are too big or small. Arrest warrants, finding a long-lost relative, applying for disability benefits, returning to high school or college, back taxes... We help with all of it!

Website: https://www.newalternativesnyc.org/get-involved
Email: info@newalternativesnyc.org
Phone: 718-300-0133

What volunteers do:

prepare meals

run life-skills training groups (HIV prevention, anger management, nutrition, dealing with conflict in the workplace)

tutor for GED, SAT

assist with college applications and financial aid paperwork

assist with youth registration

assist case managers at drop-in clinic (Fridays, 1 pm-6pm)

host fundraising events

FYI:

greatest volunteer need is on Sunday evenings from 4:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: Our mission is to defend and promote the fundamental principles and values embodied in the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and the New York Constitution, including freedom of speech and religion, and the right to privacy, equality and due process of law for all New Yorkers. We believe that all New Yorkers have inalienable rights that cannot be taken away by the government or by majority vote. They are: 1) Freedom of speech, press, petition and assembly. Even unpopular expression is protected from government suppression and censorship. 2) Freedom of religion. Each of us has the right to exercise his or her own religion, or no religion, free from any government influence or compulsion. 3) Privacy. We have the right to be free from unwarranted and unwanted government intrusion into our personal and private affairs, papers and possessions. 4) Due process of law. We have right to be treated fairly by the government whenever the loss of liberty or property is at stake. 5) Equality before the law. We have the right to be treated equally regardless of nationality, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, disability or socio-economic status. The NYCLU fights for civil liberties and civil rights through a multi-layered program of litigation, advocacy, public education and community organizing. Our clients are men and women, rich and poor, gay and straight, black, white and brown, young and old, religious and atheist, able-bodied and living with a disability, citizens and immigrants. When we vindicate their rights, all New Yorkers benefit.

Website: http://nyclu.org/content/our-advocacy-program
Volunteer sign-up form: https://action.aclu.org/secure/volunteer-nyclu
Phone: 212-607-3300
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:

online activism

grassroots lobbying

community organizing

lobby with NYCLU in Albany (next day of action March 13, 2017)

monitor protests

writing/journalism

research

help fundraise

graphic design

multimedia support

translate (Arabic , Chinese , French, Hindi, Korean, Kreyol, Polish, Spanish, Russian, Urdu)

photography/videography

education

Mission: Trans Lifeline works to end transgender suicide and improve overall mental health of transgender people through education, advocacy, and direct service. We empower trans people to help one another, and to shape our collective efforts by drawing upon our wealth of individual experiences.

Website: https://www.translifeline.org/help
Volunteer signup form: http://tinyurl.com/zfaneya
Email: volunteer@translifeline.org
Phone: 415-483-5361
What volunteers do:

after online training, staff hotline (must be trans/non-binary)

fundraising

grant writing

tech support

organizational/admin support

taxes

train and support hotline operators

Borough: based in California, but can be done anywhere.

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Mission: The Ali Forney Center houses and protects homeless LGBT youth living on the streets of New York. Our Street Outreach Team educates teens about safe sex and HIV prevention. We have grown to provide medical and mental health services. We also provide volunteer mentors, educational and career programs, life skills training and much more.

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Resource listing of NYC organizations working towards meaningful police reform

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Mission: The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) believes that a thriving multiracial democracy requires racial, social and economic justice for all. African Americans and black immigrants are stronger together and we can win by becoming leaders in the fight against structural racism and systemic discrimination. BAJI was formed to bring Black voices together to advocate for equality and justice in our laws and our communities. BAJI educates and engages African American and black immigrant communities to organize and advocate for racial, social and economic justice.

Website: http://blackalliance.org/programs/baji-nyc/
Phone: 347-410-5312
Email: http://blackalliance.org/contact-us/
What volunteers do:
attend monthly meetings and plan campaigns and events to advance a collective vision for transformation (current campaigns include Safety Beyond Policing; Freedom Film Series; Private Prison Divestment; ICE-free NYC)

Mission: The Brooklyn Movement Center (BMC) is a membership-led, direct-action, community organizing body based in Central Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights and the surrounding area). We bring together residents to develop local leadership, identify important issues in their lives, win concrete improvements in the community, and build power. We establish relationships with a growing base of local people and mobilize them to: identify social and economic issues of critical importance to them; acquire the information and leadership skills necessary to transform our community; change local conditions and win concrete improvement in their lives; join broad coalitions and build alliances with other communities; create long-term, structural change through the reform of city, state, and national policies.

Website: http://brooklynmovementcenter.org/get-involved/
Phone: 718-771-7000
Email: n/a
What volunteers do:

join Black-led, member-led committees on food justice, environmental justice, street harassment, District 16 schools, police accountability

work on mobilizations, legislative campaigns, political training

FYI:
all welcome, but (non-Black) solidarity members may not take leadership roles

Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: Communities United for Police Reform (CPR) is an unprecedented campaign to end discriminatory policing practices in New York, bringing together a movement of community members, lawyers, researchers and activists to work for change. The partners in this campaign come from all 5 boroughs, from all walks of life and represent many of those most unfairly targeted by the NYPD. This groundbreaking campaign is fighting for reforms that will promote community safety while ensuring that the NYPD protects and serves all New Yorkers. We are a movement that is here to stay - a campaign that will be a visible, lasting presence on the streets of neighborhoods citywide. We will be in communities and on the streets, educating people about their rights; and in the courts and on the steps of City Hall and the state capitol, demanding change to the NYPD -- until these policies end.
What volunteers do:

graphic design

data-entry

translate/interpret

photography

leaflet

other event-based or project-based activities

Borough: Citywide

Mission: Equality for Flatbush (E4F) is a people of color-led, multi-national grassroots organization that does anti-police repression, affordable housing, and anti-gentrification organizing in the Flatbush and East Flatbush communities of Brooklyn, NY. Historically the NYPD has served as an occupying force of predominantly working class migrant and people of color of neighborhoods. Equality for Flatbush is working to end police violence, repression, and occupation of East Flatbush and Flatbush. We condemn policies such as "Stop and Frisk" and "Broken Windows" policing that has led to countless incidents of the violation of civil rights, brutality and murder of our community members. Equality for Flatbush is a resource for people to report police misconduct, organize a community response and demand justice.

Website: http://www.equalityforflatbush.org/anti-police-repression/
Membership list for residents of East Flatbush and Flatbush: equality-for-flatbush-organizing-list@googlegroups.com
Volunteer signup sheet: https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/b4g-volunteers
Email: policework@equalityforflatbush.org
Phone: 646-820-6039 or Español (513) 445-8532 or Kréyol (707) 200-3692

What volunteers do:

film/record police abuses

conduct traffic stop/checkpoint surveys

community patrols with East Flatbush CopWatch team

conduct CopWatch and Know Your Rights trainings

maintain hotline for dollar-van and cab drivers who are stopped/profiled

organize legal and political support for individuals who have experienced police violence and/or harassment

FYI:
to participate in CopWatch, must be 18 years or older, a person of color, and a Flatbush or East Flatbush resident

Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: The Gathering for Justice is a social justice organization founded by Harry Belafonte in 2005. Led since 2010 by Executive Director Carmen Perez, The Gathering utilizes Kingian nonviolence as a social application for change and civic engagement. The organization is unique in that we provide direct services, engage artists and cultural leaders as foot soldiers in grassroots mobilization, and consult and advise on legislative and policy initiatives while organizing in local and national communities - all to sustain and build this Movement, the essence of which is grounded in the Movement for Racial Equality. Since 2013, The Gathering and our social justice task force Justice League NYC, have been building justice initiatives on multiple fronts. Our work includes leading policy initiatives for police accountability; bringing in individuals and groups from diverse communities to organize as a 'family coalition' in order to capitalize on our combined power and build the agenda for sustained black and brown liberation; being the catalyst for the re-introduction of federal legislation to end racial profiling and stop the militarization of law enforcement; engaging a serious and sustained effort for Raise the Age in NY State; and creating a blueprint - in the form of a substantive list of demands - for criminal justice redress and accountability for NY City and State.

Website: http://www.gatheringforjustice.org/volunteer
Email: nyjusticeleague@gmail.com
Phone: n/a
What volunteers do:

research committee (research laws, policies, and statistics related to ongoing/future Justice League campaigns)

direct action committee (organize protests and marches)

communications committee (relay information to and update the public on Justice League campaigns, actions, and issues facing our community)

outreach committee (social media, recruit new volunteers)

policy committee (draft policy and do research for ongoing/future legislative campaigns)

Mission: For 25 years, Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) has pursued racial and economic justice in New York City by advancing systemic changes that result in concrete improvements in people's everyday lives. We are inspired by Jewish tradition to fight for a sustainable world with an equitable distribution of economic and cultural resources and political power. The movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation will be led by those most directly targeted by oppression. We believe that Jews have a vital role to play in this movement. The future we hope for depends on Jews forging deep and lasting ties with our partners in struggle.
What volunteers do:

after orientation, members work on police accountability; workforce rights for home healthcare workers; fighting Islamophobia; movement building through arts and storytelling; and outreach

special caucuses for Mizrahi Jews, Jews of Color, and poor and working-class Jews

long-term campaigns and targeted actions

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Mission: The Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI) believes that a thriving multiracial democracy requires racial, social and economic justice for all. African Americans and black immigrants are stronger together and we can win by becoming leaders in the fight against structural racism and systemic discrimination.

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Resource listing of NYC organizations fighting for food security and an end to hunger

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Mission: BronxWorks helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, we feed, shelter, teach, and support our neighbors to build a stronger community. In all aspects of our work, BronxWorks strives for the highest ethical and performance standards and is guided by the belief that people are to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their present situation or past experiences.
Website: http://www.bronxworks.org/volunteer-opportunities
Email: L. Andrew Lin llin@bronxworks.org
Phone: 646-393-4000
What volunteers do: FYI:

for CHA, high school diploma, strong writing and computer experience, and ability to do public speaking required

Borough: Bronx

Mission: The mission of Cabrini Immigrant Services of NYC (CIS-NYC) is to provide essential services to immigrants in the spirit of Mother Cabrini, patron saint of immigrants and founder of the Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Since its inception in 1999, CIS-NYC has worked with the immigrant community all over New York City and serves all persons residing in the metro area regardless of age, race, ethnicity, country of origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or immigration status.

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: Chilis on Wheels provides vegan chili to people in need of a warm meal. We believe in treating all living beings with kindness, empathy, and respect regardless of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, language, religion, ability, ethnicity, class, circumstance, environment, level of addiction, or species. Our core principle is veganism, extending compassion and respect to all. A vegan does not use, wear, or eat animals or animal products because we believe all animals have a right to their life and their bodies in the same way that all people do. Veganism reduces animal suffering, reduces environmental impact, maximizes the potential to end world hunger, and improves our health. Chilis are distributed once a week to people in the street that want a warm homecooked meal. Most soup kitchens close their doors over the weekends, creating a vacuum in services. Chilis on Wheels aims to cover that need and act as a bridge.
Website: http://www.chilisonwheels.org/volunteer/
Email: michellec@chilisonwheels.org
Phone: 303-618-0528
What volunteers do: FYI:

Mission: City Growers empowers young people to envision a greener and healthier future. We aim to close a fundamental gap in the experience of urban children by creating opportunities for them to meaningfully interact with the natural world and reconnect with food's origin from the earth. We want to see more green roofs, more community gardens, more urban farms, equal access to healthy food, cleaner air and waterways, and more innovative urban spaces to grow and learn. It is our duty and honor to provide today's children the tools and inspiration they need to change the world tomorrow. We see the children and teens that participate in our programs as the leaders, policymakers, engineers, teachers, farmers, and activists of tomorrow. Giving young people a new perspective on our urban environment activates imaginations and provides a new lens through which to view the potential of our city and world. Each day, City Growers is cultivating healthy, informed, dynamic change makers who understand the importance of real food, grown well.

Borough: Brooklyn, Queens

Mission: La Finca del Sur's goal is to address issues of food access, environmental justice, and community empowerment for women of color and their allies in the South Bronx - and to tie these issues to broader systemic inequalities and global justice. "La Finca del Sur" translates from Spanish as "Farm of the South." We chose this name to reflect the Latina/o heritage of many of our farmers, as well as many members of the South Bronx Community. In addition, we wanted to tie together our location in the South Bronx, with the heritage that many South Bronx residents tie to the Southern United States as well as the Global South.

Website: http://bronxfarmers.blogspot.com/
Email: infosbufc@gmail.com
Phone: 646-725-2162

What volunteers do:

FYI:

core members and leadership self-identify as Black and/or Latina and are primarily women; while the project is intended to create leadership opportunities and empowerment for women of color, all who are driven by solidarity for the mission are welcome as volunteers

email to find out when volunteers are needed; volunteer days also posted here: https://www.facebook.com/lafincadelsur/?pnref=story

Borough: Bronx

Mission: Food Bank For New York City has been the city's major hunger-relief organization working to end hunger throughout the five boroughs for more than 30 years. Nearly one in five New Yorkers relies on Food Bank for food and other resources. Food Bank provides meals and builds capacity in the neediest communities, while raising awareness and engagement among all New Yorkers. Food Bank For New York City's income support services, including food stamps (also known as SNAP) and free tax assistance for the working poor, put more than $170 million each year into the pockets of New Yorkers, helping them to afford food and achieve greater dignity and independence. Food Bank's nutrition education programs and services empower more than 50,000 children, teens and adults to sustain a healthy diet and active lifestyle on a low budget. Working toward long-term solutions to food poverty, Food Bank develops policy and conducts research to inform community and government efforts.

Website: http://volunteer.foodbanknyc.org/
Phone: 212-566-7855
Email: volunteer@foodbanknyc.org
What volunteers do:
Borough: all

Mission: Food Not Bombs (FNB) was founded in the early eighties as an outgrowth of the anti-nuclear movement. It is based on the notion that if resources were not misallocated on weapons of war and on perpetuating the existing system of individual greed, there would be plenty to meet everyone's basic needs for food, housing, and health care. Food Not Bombs is a worldwide movement made up of autonomous groups who believe that food and the other necessities of life are rights, not privileges. So we give food away and eat it ourselves. We are not doing charity but community, solidarity and celebration. Food Not Bombs chapters around the world collect fresh food every week that would otherwise go to waste, because it's no longer pretty enough to be sold. We get our food from donations by companies, stores, organizations, and individual people. Much of the food we share would otherwise be thrown away or wasted. Instead, it is made into nutritious vegan meals or distributed as-is, to all who want it. Sometimes we give away flowers, too! Food Not Bombs operates on the anarchist belief that we must work to build alternative institutions now, at the grassroots level, to help create the just society we would like to live in. This is why Food Not Bombs is collectively run, non-hierarchical, and anti-authoritarian. All decisions, within each autonomous chapter, are made by consensus. No one is in charge. No one gives orders. Things simply get done because people see that something needs doing. Everyone who wants to volunteer is welcomed. This is the way the world ought to be.

Website: http://www.abcnorio.org/affiliated/fnb.html (Manhattan) or http://www.bedstuyfnb.org/index.html (Brooklyn)
Email: abc@abcnorio.org or bedstuyfnb2@gmail.com

Phone: 212-254-3697 or 631-223-4370

What volunteers do:

Borough: Brooklyn, Manhattan

Mission: The mission of God's Love We Deliver is to improve the health and well-being of men, women and children living with HIV/AIDS, cancer and other serious illnesses by alleviating hunger and malnutrition. We prepare and deliver nutritious, high-quality meals to people who, because of their illness, are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves. We also provide illness-specific nutrition education and counseling to our clients, families, care providers and other service organizations. All of our services are provided free of charge without regard to income.

Website: https://www.glwd.org
Volunteer signup: https://www.glwd.org/volunteers/overview.jsp;jsessionid=C4B520EF49CAC016CFE9F07165D3078F
Phone: 212-294-8158
Email: volunteer@glwd.org
What volunteers do:

Mission: Harlem Grown's mission is to inspire youth to lead healthy and ambitious lives through mentorship and hands-on education in urban farming, sustainability, and nutrition. Founded in 2011, we operate local urban farms, increase access to and knowledge of healthy food for Harlem residents, and provide garden-based development programs to Harlem youth. Healthy habits start young, which is why our programs target elementary-aged students. Because food justice is more than just providing and distributing food, our model seeks to positively impact the entire community through mentorship, job training, and partnerships to create sustainable change. One of the many ways we fulfill our mission is by raising support for the physical renovation of abandoned lots in Harlem, transforming them into thriving urban farms. Currently, we have 10 urban agriculture facilities ranging from soil-based farms, hydroponic greenhouses and school gardens.

Website: http://www.harlemgrown.org/volunteer/
Email: info@harlemgrown.org or to offer specialized skills, contact COO, Whitney Files, wfiles@harlemgrown.org
Phone: 212-870-0113

What volunteers do:

FYI:

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: Our lunch program is a wonderful, friendly, inter-generational community program serving a lunchtime meal to guests who may need a little extra food or companionship. It is our goal to serve anyone who enters our doors, regardless of age, gender, religion, background, or income level. We strive to create an environment in which our guests are individually addressed, personally welcomed and served with kindness and generosity by our volunteers. We care for both body and soul by providing our guests with a meal in a comfortable and respectful atmosphere.

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: The Mandala Café is committed to providing access, dignity and mutuality around issues of food & employment. Rather than give them a fish, we teach people to fish. Then we teach them how to cook it.... The Mandala Kitchens Culinary Training offers free or low-cost 10-week Culinary Training programs to anyone wishing to develop food service skills in order to get a job in a commercial setting/kitchen. While the program is open to everyone, there is a priority on providing the training for those who have difficulties finding and/or keeping jobs. In 2016, the Mandala Café began to co-sponsor, with the Manhattan Satya Sai Baba Community & All Souls Episcopal Church, to provide the preparation & cooking for a weekly free meal. We serve between 50-200 meals each week.

Website: http://mandalacafe.org/ways-help/volunteer
Email: Volunteer@mandalacafe.org
Phone: n/a

What volunteers do:

FYI:

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: Twenty-six years ago, the Momentum Project began as an all-volunteer organization dedicated to feeding disenfranchised New Yorkers living with HIV/AIDS. Today, Momentum has grown into one of New York City's largest HIV/AIDS organizations providing hot meals, pantry bags, and a wide array of life saving support services. Now part of an alliance with BOOM!Health, The Momentum Project promotes health and wellness through the provision of nutritious communal meals and supportive services to low income New Yorkers, especially those living with HIV/AIDS or other chronic illnesses. What continues to be unique about the Momentum model is that our congregate meal and pantry service attracts the hardest-to-reach individuals with HIV/AIDS, and that we provide all our services in a non-judgmental and supportive environment in our clients' own neighborhoods. Our comprehensive team of nurses, nutritionists, social workers, chaplains and other specialists engage more than 3,000 low-income individuals with HIV/AIDS every year during meals, and educate, counsel, and link them to primary healthcare, mental health and substance abuse treatment, housing, and other essential services. Momentum works because of the pooling of public and private sector resources, our dedicated staff, committed Board of Directors, caring volunteers, and the trust of thousands of HIV/AIDS clients and their families.

Website: https://www.boomhealth.org/solutions/food-and-nutrition
Email: Yizel Santana ysantana@boomhealth.org
Phone: 212-691-8100 or 718-292-7718 x499

What volunteers do:
FYI:

kitchen/meal/pantry volunteers needed Mondays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.on Lower East Side;Tuesdays 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Midtown East; Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., South Bronx; andFriday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Williamsburg

security guards needed Tuesday/Wednesday 11 am - 7 pm & Friday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

office volunteers needed Monday, Wednesday & Fridays 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. in Bronx office

warehouse assistants needed Monday - Friday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

van driver assistants needed Monday - Friday 1 p.m. - 6 p.m.

Borough: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan

Mission: The Muslim Community Network develops the capacity of Muslim New Yorkers and their allies to fully participate in the social landscape of New York City. Founded in 2003 as a group of NYC based Muslim volunteers responding to urgent needs after 9/11, MCN has been working to build consensus and cooperation among diverse Muslims - crossing ethnic, gender, class and religious boundaries to build unity and understanding. MCN values an Islamic principle known as "Shura," which means "consultation" and democratic participation in decision making activities by those who are affected by those decisions. MCN's strategies include creating strong relationships with other faith-based communities; articulating and advancing an understanding of the need for citizen engagement; developing the skills and ability of our community to effect change, and building the next generation's identity and capacity as leaders. Our program areas: youth leadership development, community education, cross-cultural education, and civic engagement. We are the go-to Muslim organization in New York City for education on Islam and Muslims in public schools and faith communities, and for interfaith dialogue.

Website: http://mcnny.org/2015/08/internvolunteer-with-mcn/
Phone: 646-481-1772
Email: info@mcnny.org
What volunteers do: FYI:

Mission: Over three million New Yorkers have difficulty affording food. They are out-of-work families with children, elderly people who live alone, and the working poor who cannot afford to pay for both rent and food. They are also the homeless who live in shelters or on the streets. In response, our programs provide nutritious and wholesome food served in a friendly, hospitable manner. Our Monday Food Pantry provides a three-day emergency supply of both fresh produce and shelf-stable groceries to families in need, serving approximately 200 families each week. Participants must live within the borough of Manhattan, and can utilize the pantry up to once a month. Our twice weekly Community Kitchen provides a hot, delicious meal to all who need it. Patrons of the Community Kitchen sit down to a hot meal or, alternatively, may take away a brown-bag meal. All are welcome at the Community Kitchen, and guests can come as often as they like.

Website: https://www.ncjwny.org/programs/#hunger
Email: Yael Riesman, yriesman@ncjwny.org
Phone: 646-884-9462

What volunteers do:

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: New York Common Pantry is dedicated to reducing hunger throughout New York City while promoting dignity and self-sufficiency. New York Common Pantry works toward the reduction of hunger and food insecurity through an array of programs that function to establish long-term independence for those we serve. Our whole-person approach starts with food provision through the distribution of nutritious, fresh food pantry packages in Choice Pantry and hearty balanced breakfast and dinner in the Hot Meals program. Supplemental food is provided to seniors aged 60 and older through Nourish. We then go further to address the reasons for food insecurity with case management services through the help of Help 365, which assists Pantry visitors in gaining access to resources, and Project Dignity, which connects homeless visitors to resources. The third vital element in our whole-person approach is education offered through our Live Healthy! program. Live Healthy! teaches children and adults about the importance of a nutritionally sound diet and active living, as well as provides them with the skills necessary to make healthier choices for their families.
What volunteers do:
Borough: Manhattan

Mission: The River Fund's mission "to feed and empower those we serve to move beyond the lines of poverty " encompasses food and non-food needs of people living under constant 'pressure of relentless material hardships'-which is now recognized as a better way to understand what "poverty" means in our society. People need the basic necessities of food, shelter and a sense of self-dignity. The circumstances that create persistent shortages of critical resources in people's lives and cause them to face episodes of acute deprivation vary dramatically-ranging from the obvious, such as lack of sufficient income, to the overwhelming, like poor health or severe work-limiting health conditions. Our programs are designed to help ameliorate this suffering, in a safe and supportive environment, by (1) supporting people with basic needs, and (2) empowering them with the tools and resources they need to fight back. As we do this, we support and affirm all people regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.

What volunteers do:

FYI:

Borough: Queens, Brooklyn

Mission: Seeds in the Middle, named by fourth graders, inspires parents, educators, students and their community to access all opportunities, beginning with improving their health, enhancing arts education, and greening their environment. We are joyful, respectful, educational and engaging. Our innovative strategy to fight obesity and combat health disparities initiates at schools. We weave proven programs into a comprehensive package to turn around ills driving down opportunity and advancement. Our pilot Hip2B Healthy schools are in central Brooklyn, a neighborhood with one of New York City's highest obesity, diabetes, and heart disease rates. We have run community farmers' markets and founded Soccer for Harmony tournaments, inspiring social change through soccer. At Seeds in the Middle, we partner with faculty. We teach how to grow, market, access and prepare nutritious food, how to exercise and engage in the arts, all the elements needed to promote life-changing lifelong health. Our partners come from all walks of life: chefs, athletes, educators, artists, builders and more. We cross cultures. We transform gray into green, destitution into inspiration.

What volunteers do:

Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: Trinity's Services And Food for the Homeless (or SAFH, pronounced "safe") was official founded and incorporated in 1986, but Trinity Lower East Side has served the hungry in this community for much longer that. While the neighborhood of the East Village has changed dramatically these past decades, the need in this community has not. We are here to feed the hungry, and help all who come through our doors.Today, Trinity's SAFH is open Monday through Friday and serves lunch everyday to around 200, sometimes 300 people a day during the summer months. Often, we will get as many as 50-60 families for our food pantry, which operates Monday through Thursday, year round. People of every background, race, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, religion, and of any age may enjoy a meal or receive groceries without fear of being turned away.
FYI:

Mission: UCC is a social justice driven community center that has been serving the East New York neighborhood of Brooklyn for over 60 years. Our mission is to work together with residents of all ages and cultures to address our community's challenges, celebrate its strengths, and provide services that improve lives. Our current programs include: the Morris L. Eisenstein (MLE) Learning Center for 110 pre-school children; services for immigrants which include immigration assistance, English classes, and civics/ citizenship preparation classes; Protecting the East, a project that conducts women's sexual and reproductive health workshops, community-wide condom distribution and HIV/STDS prevention education and outreach; East New York Farms!, an urban agriculture project that includes a youth internship program and the largest youth-run farmers market in the country.

Website: http://ucceny.org/get-involved/
Email: http://ucceny.org/contact-us/ orfor farm: roy@eastnewyorkfarms.org
Phone: 718-649-7979

What volunteers do:
FYI:

Mission: The Youth Farm is an education-focused production farm in Brooklyn that offers New Yorkers opportunities to increase their knowledge of the food system and build high level organic growing skills to share with their communities. The Youth Farm grows organic food and flowers on one acre for the community and beyond, and offers hands-on farm training and leadership opportunities for youth and adults.

Borough: Brooklyn

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Hunger & Food Justice - We Are New York Values

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Mission: BronxWorks helps individuals and families improve their economic and social well-being. From toddlers to seniors, we feed, shelter, teach, and support our neighbors to build a stronger community. In all aspects of our work, BronxWorks strives for the highest ethical and performance standards and is guided by the belief that people are to be treated with dignity and respect regardless of their present situation or past experiences.

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Resource listing of NYC organizations who offer volunteer opportunities and art engagements to promote social justice

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Mission: Art Start uses the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of historically marginalized youth, offering a space for them to imagine, believe, and represent their creative vision for their lives and communities. Through consistent workshops with long-term partners, including youth organizations, schools, alternative sentencing programs, and residences for youth and families experiencing homelessness, art becomes the starting point of a larger life process, and the start of larger conversations about the future of our communities.

Website: http://www.art-start.org/volunteer
Volunteer form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSehy_ou_hCT9XY1Ygd1VYx6yb6vqOxrIjJgRHq32roejeQmeA/viewform
Email: http://www.art-start.org/contact
Phone: 212-460-0019

What volunteers do:

help lead Creative Collectives workshops in visual arts, music, dance, theatre, photography, gardening, and music recording for children between 5 and 21

mentor youth between 14-20 in the Creative Connections program program (help youth set and achieve project goals, learn or improve a creative skill, visit cultural events)

FYI:

Creative Collective workshops are 1.5 hours long and take place on weekdays between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Creative Collective commitment is one night per week for a three-month session

Creative Collective volunteers must have background or interest in the arts and willingness to help lead a project

Creative Collective volunteers must have experience working with groups of children or teens (classroom, summer camp, daycare, large family)

group info session, one-on-one interview, $60 fingerprint and background check and 2-3 hour mentor artist orientation required

mentors meet mentees two to three times a month

Borough: Brooklyn and Manhattan

Mission: Art and Resistance Through Education (ARTE) engages young people around human rights, using art as the mobilizing vehicle to inspire them to organize for change and to amplify their voices. First, we use art to educate youth around the issues that impact their communities. Then we provide them with the space to express their own experiences around human rights through the arts. Finally, through our interactive, multimedia visual arts programs, we equip them with the organizing tools to fight for human rights in their communities and in connection with global human rights movements. These tools enable students to work more effectively in the collective task of steering society towards greater justice. Across all of ARTE's programs, youth develop the language, confidence, ability, and drive to address the human rights abuses that directly affect them. Along with ARTE's workshops in school classrooms, ARTE also operates in jails and in community-based organizations throughout New York City.

Website: https://www.artejustice.org/connect
Volunteer sign-up form: http://bit.ly/2lGXWw9
Phone: 347-493-5081
Email: marissa@artejustice.org
What volunteers do: FYI:

valuable skills include strategic planning, fundraising, computer skills (Office programs, Google sites, social media platforms, Photoshop and other design programs, and website development)

Borough: Brooklyn office; programs in Queens, Bronx, and Manhattan

Mission: ARTs East New York Inc. is committed to promoting multi-disciplinary arts as a means to address socioeconomic issues facing East New York, Brooklyn. Our innovative efforts foster entrepreneurs and industries that support the local economy, reduce crime and recidivism, heighten awareness around healthy living, and instill community pride. Our cultural initiatives improve livability and encourage economic development outcomes that empower current members of the community and set a path for sustainable neighborhood growth. AENY's mission is rooted in the idea that enlightening a community through culture sets a sustainable pattern of development. With each program and project produced, AENY is building the infrastructure necessary to support economic opportunity, cultural unity, and educational access.

Website: http://artseastny.org/opportunities/#volunteer
Volunteer application: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfeqfnZvA2UGHMtVc1dVp6moDV6s8jq6nsOkRe_zLtCgiGQWA/viewform#start=embed
Email: info@artseastny.org
Phone: 718-676-6006
What volunteers do:
Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: In 1979, Avenues for Justice first reached into some crowded Manhattan criminal courtrooms and found kids who might turn their lives around if they only had a second chance. What AFJ did next was unheard of. We presented the courts with an option: instead of sentencing youth to jail, judges could send them to AFJ for counseling, training, education and employment assistance. That simple tactic -- keep kids out of prison -- has saved the lives of hundreds of young people every year for more than three decades. At a time when the U.S. incarceration rate is the highest of any nation in the world and a cycle of arrests and imprisonment has become the norm within many low-income communities, AFJ has bucked the trend to become one of history's most successful and cost-effective crime prevention programs.

Website: http://avenuesforjustice.org/about/volunteer
Email: info@avenuesforjustice.org
Phone: Elizabeth Frederick 212-349-6381

What volunteers do:

artists, educators, and assistants help with weekly art projects.

tutors help students with school work, and prepare them to take Regents tests in history, English, math, and science

Borough: Manhattan

Mission: Project Renewal's mission is to end the cycle of homelessness by empowering men, women and children to renew their lives with health, homes and jobs. Men and women struggling with homelessness, addiction, mental illness and other chronic health issues need comprehensive services to achieve their goals for independent living. Our range of innovative programs are designed to meet the holistic needs of the most vulnerable homeless men and women. The Bowery Arts Project's bi-weekly art classes serve a community of men (clients) seeking help with their drug and alcohol addiction. The clients are short-term residents of the non-medical detox floor at Project Renewal's 3rd Street facility.
FYI:
Borough: Manhattan

Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute

Mission: CCCADI integrates the arts, education, activism and conscious cultural tourism to foster social transformation. We document and present the creative genius of African Diaspora cultures; prepare the next generation of cultural leaders; and unite Diaspora communities.Each of CCCADI's programs asserts the centrality and relevance of African, Afro-Caribbean and Afro-Latino culture to strengthen our communities, build access, and support leadership from within economically vulnerable and underserved communities. CCCADI carries out its mission through public art exhibitions, performances, educational programs, workshops, conferences and international exchanges. CCCADI is regarded as a pioneer in the field and an authentic source on the historic living traditions of afro-descendent communities in the US and globally. Our programs and pedagogy are informed by Afro-Atlantic aesthetics and philosophies. CCCADI consciously cultivates multi-generational audiences acknowledging the unique gifts of community elders, adults and youth. Our initiatives and our audiences reflect the dynamic kaleidoscope of global Black culture. We actively work to create a world in which afro-descendent people: have access to culturally relevant arts education, training, and employment opportunities; are guaranteed equal rights and opportunities to make a sustainable living for themselves and their families; live in communities that are safe, healthy, beautiful and vibrant; leverage their cultural traditions as a source of wisdom, power, pride, healing and thriving; understand and engage with the global diversity of Black cultural expressions; and use our creativity to empower our people as artists, thinkers and leaders within our homes, schools, and communities - and in our major cultural institutions that present our contributions to humanity.

Website: http://www.cccadi.org/get-involved/ (scroll down for volunteer form)
Phone: 212-307-7420
Email: info@cccadi.org

What volunteers do:
FYI:
Borough: Manhattan

Mission: The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) uses the power of design and art to increase meaningful civic engagement. CUP projects demystify the urban policy and planning issues that impact our communities, so that more individuals can better participate in shaping them. We believe that increasing understanding of how these systems work is the first step to better and more diverse community participation. CUP projects are collaborations of art and design professionals, community-based advocates and policymakers, and our staff. Together we take on complex issues-from the juvenile justice system to zoning law to food access-and break them down into simple, accessible, visual explanations. The tools we create are used by organizers and educators all over New York City and beyond to help their constituents better advocate for their own community needs.
What volunteers do: FYI:

valuable skills include copyediting, fact-checking, translation, design critique (not the mean kind, the friendly, constructive kind), woodworking, photography, programming - HTML, PHP, JavaScript, mapping, event planning, sales (talking to strangers about buying CUP products or donating to CUP) fundraising (excluding grant writing)

Mission: Culture Push nurtures artists and other creative people who are approaching common problems through hands-on civic participation and imaginative problem-solving. Culture Push supports a lively exchange of ideas between many different communities: artists and non-artists, professional practitioners and laypeople, and across generations, neighborhoods, and cultures. The programs of Culture Push focus on collaboration and group learning through active, participatory experiences. The current focal program is the Fellowship for Utopian Practice, which supports creative practitioners of many types, especially people who may be outside of the mainstream, as they develop ideas that combine artistic practice, civic engagement, and social justice.

Website: https://www.culturepush.org
Volunteer sign-up form: https://bit.ly/2HulXm9
Email: admin@culturepush.org or cp@culturepush.org
Phone: 917-306-6363
What volunteers do: FYI:

Culture Push can accommodate a range of skills and time commitments

ideal volunteers are responsible, prompt, and respectful; and want to support marginalized voices, and the expansion of artistic practice into new realms.

Borough: floating "office" in Brooklyn and Manhattan; events take place throughout the five boroughs

Mission: If a girl can change her own life, she can change the lives of girls everywhere. We envision a world in which every girl is valued and encouraged to be a leader and change maker. Girl Be Heard develops, amplifies, and celebrates the voices of young women through socially conscious theatre-making.
What volunteers do:

Mission: The mission of Interference Archive is to explore the relationship between cultural production and social movements. This work manifests in an open stacks archival collection, publications, a study center, and public programs including exhibitions, workshops, talks, and screenings, all of which encourage critical and creative engagement with the rich history of social movements. The archive contains many kinds of objects that are created as part of social movements by the participants themselves: posters, flyers, publications, photographs, books, T-shirts and buttons, moving images, audio recordings, and other materials. Through our programming, we use this cultural ephemera to animate histories of people mobilizing for social transformation. We consider the use of our collection to be a way of preserving and honoring histories and material culture that is often marginalized in mainstream institutions.
What volunteers do:
Borough: Brooklyn

Mission: For 25 years, Jews For Racial & Economic Justice (JFREJ) has pursued racial and economic justice in New York City by advancing systemic changes that result in concrete improvements in people's everyday lives. We are inspired by Jewish tradition to fight for a sustainable world with an equitable distribution of economic and cultural resources and political power. The movement to dismantle racism and economic exploitation will be led by those most directly targeted by oppression. We believe that Jews have a vital role to play in this movement. The future we hope for depends on Jews forging deep and lasting ties with our partners in struggle.

Website: http://jfrej.org/get-involved-2/
Phone: 212-647-8966 x11
Email: leo@jfrej.org
What volunteers do:

Mission: We are a rapid response creative production team, made up of comedy writers, comedians and activists, on call 24/7 to make videos, artistic memes and create national actions that respond instantly to the breaking news surrounding reproductive rights issues. We will within minutes, or hours, blast the perpetrators dispensing damaging information about abortion, crisis pregnancy centers, birth control as well as taking down those who shame and stigmatize women for wanting, having and demanding safe and healthy sex lives on their own terms. At Lady Parts Justice League, we vigilantly drop information about what's at stake for reproductive access into pop culture spaces, AND we bring all the fun of pop culture back to reproductive health spaces to boost morale and provide aid and comfort. A crucial part of our mission is to support and raise awareness about independent abortion providers - clinics that bear the brunt of anti-abortion legislation and harassment.
What volunteers do:

several times a year, the League performs comedy shows in a USO format to bring love to women's health clinics and their communities; volunteers spend those days supporting a local abortion provider as clinic escorts, bringing treats and cards, offering support wherever needed

organize evening events

host parties

help fundraise

perform shows in community places to raise awareness about reproductive health while building relationships between clinics, advocates, and communities

Mission: We amplify the creativity that already exists within communities by using arts and culture to build community networks, solve problems, and enhance our sense of ownership in the places where we live, work, and grow. The Laundromat Project believes art, culture, and engaged imaginations can change the way people see their world, open them up to new ideas, and connect them with their neighbors. When artists have the opportunity to build and contribute their unique skills and perspectives to the needs of their neighborhoods, they can be invaluable assets in furthering community wellbeing. When the skills and strategies for igniting creativity are made broadly available to everyday people and purposefully applied as tools for visioning a new and better world, these can be powerful forces for positive, transformative change. We know we have been successful when, over time, our neighbors-artists and everyday people, newcomers and old-timers, individually and collectively-become more involved in the civic and cultural affairs of their communities, feel more deeply connected to the places and people where they live and work, and bring a sense of creativity to community concerns. Our arts education work takes place through hands-on, community-centered art workshops and public programs at local laundromats and other community spaces. We aim to make art education more readily available to all our community members-regardless of income, age, or background. We believe it is a basic human right to use our imaginations in the service of a better life.

Website: http://laundromatproject.org/get-involved/volunteer/
Volunteer form: http://www.tfaforms.com/321480
Email: info@laundromatproject.org or Melissa Liu at melissa@laundromatproject.org or Emily Mock at emily@laundromatproject.org 718-574-0798
What volunteers do: FYI:
Borough: All (core programs are in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Harlem, and Hunts Point/Longwood)

Mission: Founded in 2000 by actors and educators, Opening Act seeks to level the playing fieldfor our students by specifically partnering with NYC schools that have lower than average graduation rates (as few as 33% of students graduating in four years) and an evident lack of theater programming. Opening Act gives high school students opportunities to develop leadership, community, and commitment through its innovative, high quality, free after-school theater program. We strive to remain a consistent and positive force in our students' lives, regardless of fluctuating school budgets and priorities.

Website: http://openingact.org/volunteer/
Email: info@openingact.org for general volunteering or Marcus Denard Johnson, associate director of programs & student development at marcus@openingact.org for guest artists
Phone: 646-418-7088

What volunteers do:
FYI:

Mission: PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect open expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. The Prison Writing Program sponsors an annual writing contest, publishes a free handbook for prisoners, and provides one-on-one mentoring to inmates.
What volunteers do:

Mission: RPGA Studio is a social practice nonprofit that uses art + design + education + technology to address community issues. Our areas of focus are: youth, commercial corridors, transportation safety, garbage, and revitalizing outdoor spaces. "Women Who Build: Artist Who Own' is about empowering women and girls by giving us the tools they need to grow, the networks they need to succeed, and the confidence they need to persevere. It's about women working together to learn to build with their own hands in an industry dominated by males. The skills women learn help them go back to their homes and communities, feel empowered, and have stronger women networks to draw strength from. RPGA also works with students to paint murals, and on virtual-reality projects that help communities change behaviors around litter and transportation.
What volunteers do:
Borough: Queens

Mission: RTA's mission is to use the transformative power of the arts to develop social and cognitive skills that prisoners need for successful reintegration into the community. RTA serves 200 prisoners at any one time, teaching in at least one facility every day of the week, year-round. More than 30 arts facilitators travel to remote prisons in 3 New York State counties to teach a wide variety of artistic media. In RTA's latest development, we have begun to follow participants as they are released to the community to nurture the creative experience they found so meaningful inside. Our first project is to develop a play about the many challenges of reentry.
What volunteers do:

help with props, costumes, sets (outside of prison)

work in prison (requires advanced arts training and extensive background checks)

Mission: Theatre of the Oppressed NYC (TONYC) partners with social service organizations and city agencies, forming theatre troupes with community members who face pressing social, economic, health, and human rights issues. These troupes devise plays based on their real-life struggles, and perform them before diverse audiences. After each performance, actors and audiences engage in theatrical brainstorming - called Forum Theatre - with the aim of catalyzing creative change on the individual, community and political levels. Legislative Theatre - a particular type of Forum Theatre - brings citizens, legislators and policymakers together into creative dialogue about the policies and laws that affect communities facing oppression. We use theatre, in other words, to spark concrete civic change.

Website: http://www.tonyc.nyc/volunteerform
Phone: 646-504-4582
Email: Holly Sansom holly@tonyc.nyc
What volunteers do:

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Arts for Social Justice - We Are New York Values

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Mission: Art Start uses the creative process to nurture the voices, hearts, and minds of historically marginalized youth, offering a space for them to imagine, believe, and represent their creative vision for their lives and communities.

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Resource listing of NYC organizations working to fight for racial justice

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Mission: There's a dearth of African-American women in science, technology, engineering and math professions, an absence that cannot be explained by a lack of interest in these fields. Lack of access and lack of exposure to STEM topics are the likelier culprits.

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Commercial Observer

"There are questions about how to conduct something as complex as a trial, where people need to be able to cross-examine and raise objections of someone giving testimony, when they aren't in the physical presence of the witness," said Marika Dias, the managing director of the Safety Net project at the Urban Justice Center.

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Commercial Observer "There are questions about how to conduct something as complex as a trial, where people need to be able to cross-examine and raise objections of someone giving testimony, when they aren't in the physical presence of the witness," said Marika Dias, the managing director of the Safety Net project at the Urban Justice Center.

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Resources for Fighting Discrimination and Hate

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Resources for Fighting Discrimination and Hate

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Offers basic information, a short list of strategies and tools, and suggestions for how to find out more on various equity issues, including race, gender, sexual orientation, class and income, and language.

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Welcome to NEA's Diversity Toolkit and All Its Chapters

This online toolkit provides an introduction to the multiple facets of diversity. It offers basic information, a short list of strategies and tools, and suggestions for how to find out more. Neither the short list of topics in this toolkit nor the content within each topic is meant to be exhaustive. For more in-depth information, please visit the Web links listed under each topic.

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This online toolkit provides an introduction to the multiple facets of diversity. It offers basic information, a short list of strategies and tools, and suggestions for how to find out more. Neither the short list of topics in this toolkit nor the content within each topic is meant to be exhaustive.