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June Membership Meeting: Let’s Talk Transit Justice on Saturday
Join us for our June Membership Meeting tomorrow, Saturday, June 28th, at 10:00 AM. It will be held in-person at P.S./I.S. 210 – The 21st Century Academy for Community Leadership, which is located across the street from WE ACT at the corner of 152nd & Amsterdam Avenue (501-503 West 152nd Street). We will be talking about transit justice in our community, including congestion pricing, accessibility, and Fair Fares with special guests from the Riders Alliance. RSVP
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Dealing with the Heat: Resources to Help You Prepare and Cope
Summer is here, and we have already endured our first heat wave. We encourage you to review our Cooling Assistance Resources (PDF) and apply to see if you are eligible for the various City and State cooling assistance programs.
New York State’s HEAP Cooling Assistance Benefit was closed on June 23rd because the funding allotted for the year had already been used up – only three days into summer and on the first day of our first heat wave of the summer! That is why we have been advocating for improvements and increased funding for the federally-funded and state-administered Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). And our concern is compounded by the fact that the Trump administration has fired the entire staff that had been working on this life-saving program, putting future funding in jeopardy.
Fortunately, New York City also has a network of Cooling Centers open to the public free of charge. You can find the nearest Cooling Center here. You can find additional information, resources, and tips on how to stay cool via the City’s Beat the Heat webpage. The National Integrated Heat Health Information System has even more resources – from planning and preparing to staying safe – available at heat.gov. And visit weact.org/heat to see all of our work on this issue, including a variety of reports and other resources.
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Take Action: Urge the Governor to Sign the Bill Repealing the 100-Foot Rule
After a long advocacy campaign that resulted in the passage of legislation that eliminates the 100-foot rule, we are now asking for your help in getting New York State Governor Kathy Hochul to sign it into law. This bill (S.8417/A.8888) will amend part of the State’s Public Service Law that requires utilities to build a gas pipeline to any building or home within 100 feet of an existing gas main - regardless of whether they needed or even wanted gas service - and have been charging ratepayers across the state $200 million per year for this unnecessary infrastructure. Signing this legislation into law will save New Yorkers money, improve air quality, and make it easier for the state to transition to clean energy. Click here to call Governor Hochul and ask her to sign this bill into law.
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Seeking Input from Community Members on Lead Poisoning
We are working on a booklet to educate New Yorkers on the dangers of lead poisoning, how to prevent it, and what your rights are. If you or someone in your family has been directly impacted by lead poisoning, we would like to invite you to our next community conversation on lead, to help us develop this booklet. It will be held on Wednesday, July 2nd from 6:30-7:30 PM at our Harlem headquarters, located on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue (at the corner of 152nd Street & Amsterdam). Call or email Liz Reyes at 646-983-7098 or [email protected] to attend.
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WE ACT at UN Climate Meetings
Mae Kennedy (left) and Leslie Fields (right) were in Bonn, Germany last week for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's June Climate Meetings. They monitored the discussions regarding the Global Goal on Adaptation, Climate Finance, Just Transition Work Program, and others. They also connected with climate justice leaders from around the world and gained information on COP30, the UN's annual climate change conference scheduled to be held in Belém, Brazil in November. In the photo below, Mae (left) and Leslie (right) were joined by Samuel Ngei, Senior Officer, Land and Environmental Justice Initiative at Namati (center). And the photo below that is from one of the meetings they attended.
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Watch: New Video on Building Power in the Environmental Justice Movement
The grassroots environmental justice movement is building world-changing power, and showing that the answers lie within our communities. Watch this new video produced by the Fund to Build Grassroots Power, which includes Peggy Shepard along with other leaders in the movement talking about the importance of building power and collaboration. Watch
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Fort Washington Park Retaining Wall and Greenway Community Listening Session
The Fort Washington Park Greenway Study Team is inviting members of the community to a public listening session on Tuesday, July 8th at 6:00 PM via Zoom to discuss the retaining wall and greenway in Fort Washington Park. The Fort Washington Park Greenway between the George Washington Bridge and Dyckman Street has experienced recurring sinkholes and closures. Stantec and Melissa Johnson Associates, in collaboration with NYC Parks, are conducting a scoping study to explore solutions. RSVP
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