U.S : VOCAL-NY Guide to Your Week !

 

 

 

Upcoming Events.

Wednesday, May 19 @ 5-7:30 PM : Manhattan DA Race Text Bank : With your help we've texted over 60,000 Manhattan residents about the Manhattan District Attorney on June 22, 2021. We still have more to go ! The next Manhattan DA will be able to shift the power of that office, if we hold them accountable. Join us as we continue to reach out to Manhattan residents to make sure they know about this race and why it's so important. Register here :https://vocal.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/register?id=3328&reset=1   Contact : Keli | keli@vocal-ny.org | 929-363-4713 Thursday, May 20 @ 3:00 PM : UU General Membership Assembly : Join us for the monthly VOCAL-NY Users Union general membership meeting. We will be engaging in deep political education and building the power to change the narratives and outcomes of people who currently or formerly use drugs, as well as those whose lives have been impacted by the overdose crisis. Let's fight to end the racist and classist war on drugs and #EndOverdoseNY ! Where : In person (470 Vanderbilt Ave, 9th floor, Brooklyn) OR online/phone (via Zoom) RSVP : http://bit.ly/MayUUMembershipAssembly   Contact : (413.406.8838 |biz@vocal-ny) Friday, May 21 @ 11 AM : Rally to Convert Hotels to Permanent Housing for Homeless New Yorkers : There is 100 million dollars on the table to convert distressed hotels and office spaces into permanent housing. We cannot let the governor steal this money from our communities- we want this to be 100% affordable housing. Where : Holiday Inn Express in Bushwick 1200 Broadway, New York, NY 11211 Register Here : https://vocal.ourpowerbase.net/civicrm/event/register?reset=1&id=3325 Friday, May 21 @ 5:30 PM : Capital Region Caring & Compassionate New Deal in the Park (Teach-In) Where : Townsend Park Albany, NY (Rain location: Social Justice Center) RSVP : Click here to join us! Contact : Luke (917) 702-8781 / Luke@vocal-ny.org Saturday, May 22 @ 3 PM : Why Defund the Police Community Conversation and BBQ in Betsy Head Park Come eat with us and participate in a community conversation about "Defund" the police and what it means for our communities. Where : Betsy Head park in Brownsville, Brooklyn (3-train to Saratoga) Register Here : https://bit.ly/InvestByDefundMay22 Contact : Keli, 929-363-4713 or Jawanza, 917-488-4961

Week In Review

Last Thursday’s first mayoral debate sent a clear message: Adams and Yang, the two leading candidates, only want to continue supporting failed Drug War policies. While discussing the city’s uptick in violence and rising homelessness, both candidates called for further policing and criminalization of New Yorkers that need housing, social services, and care. In a statement following the debate, VOCAL-NY’s political director Paulette Soltani put it best: “Candidates say they want to end homelessness and overdose deaths out one side of their mouth, then call for continued policing out the other. Criminalization won’t end homelessness, overdose deaths, or mental health crises -- it’ll make them worse. We need a leader that understands this and will fight for a Caring and Compassionate New Deal.” In Albany, VOCAL-NY leaders joined the Freedom Unshackled Coalition for a virtual press conference call on governor Cuomo to grant clemencies four times a year, to 100 individuals (including women and gender nonconforming individuals) each time. The Clemency 4xY initiative would mean 400 people a year would be released, returning New Yorkers to their families and communities. As Luke Grandis, upstate lead organizer with VOCAL-NY, told WAMC: “We need clemency to complement parole reform bills, we need parole reform bills to complement clemency. And we truly need the governor to take that wave of the pen power that he has, and put it into action."

What We're Reading

Politics New York : “Op-Ed: Increase Housing Vouchers to Help Low-Income Renters” New York Times : “Who’s the ‘Comeback’ Candidate? 5 Takeaways From the Mayor’s Race." Politico : "Mayoral candidates divided on a fix for public housing"

VOCAL-NY PO Box 170374 Brooklyn, NY 11217-1908 info@vocal-ny.org | 718-802-9540