The Civic Matters Hub is here to support you along your civic journey. We are a resource for creating stronger communities, advocating for change, and most importantly, helping you make your voice heard through voting, community organizing, volunteering, rallying, and more.
Are you concerned about the toxic chemicals commonly found in cosmetics and other personal care products? Did you know that many of the most toxic products are aggressively marketed towards people of color? Do you want to help do something about this? The celebrate Earth Day by travelling to Albany with WE ACT for Environmental Justice on Tuesday, April 29th to lobby for the New York State Beauty Justice Act. RSVPWhat is the Beauty Justice Act?Personal care products – everything from cosmetics to soaps and shampoos to hair straighteners – are largely unregulated, with far too many containing toxic ingredients that have been linked to cancer, infertility, miscarriage, poor infant and maternal health outcomes, obesity, asthma, and many other serious health concerns. And a combination of racist beauty standards and aggressive target marketing have led young women and femme-identifying people of color to higher rates of use for these harmful products – on top of already being exposed to disproportionate amounts of toxic chemicals. That is why we are currently advocating for the passage of the Beauty Justice Act (S.2057/A.2054), which will ban the most dangerous toxic chemicals from the majority of these products.What is an Albany Advocacy Day?Spend the day with our staff and colleagues as we take a bus (which is free to you, along with lunch) up to Albany. Once we arrive, you will meet with your lobby team leader and review the key talking points about the bill and the plan for the day – along with any questions you may have – over free coffee and bagels. Once we’re all prepped, we will then split up in teams to meet with legislators and their staff to discuss the importance of passing the Beauty Justice Act!For those who sign-up to attend, we will a Zoom prep meeting beforehand to explain the details of this legislation, provide tips on talking to legislators, and answer any questions you may have. In the meantime, feel free to watch this brief video showing what you can expect on one of our Albany trips.If you join us, we will meet at WE ACT’s office (on the Second Floor of 1854 Amsterdam Avenue, which is at the corner of 152nd Street) at 7:00 AM on Tuesday, April 29th. We will have bagels and coffee before boarding the bus to Albany for the day, returning to our office around 7:00 PM.JOIN OUR ALBANY ADVOCACY DAY
On Tuesday, April 29th, NCJW NY’s Jews for Repro NY will be meeting with our elected officials in Albany to discuss and press them to pass important reproductive rights legislation in New York State. Please join us, get to know your legislators and learn firsthand how you can help pass these bills.Even if you have never lobbied previously, we want you to join us! We will offer virtual training beforehand, materials with bill information as well as summaries and talking points about our legislative priorities, so everyone will be prepared. There is strength in numbers and just showing up for support makes a difference. We will provide round-trip transportation from Manhattan, and will add transportation directly from Brooklyn, Westchester, and Long Island locations if enough people request it.Our legislative priorities for 2025 include: funding for abortion providers, for facility, staff, and security upgrades; the Health Information Privacy Act, protecting patient health data; allowing pharmacists to prescribe abortion medication to remove barriers to access; regulation of crisis pregnancy centers, and more!Click here for more information and to register for the event.
New York must fundamentally transform the role of policing in our state. It is up to us all to envision and advocate for community safety that starts with reducing reliance on police in mental health crisis response, increasing transparency as a means for accountability, and reducing unnecessary police encounters. Join the NYCLU for the third installation of four in our annual town hall series, “Liberty in Motion: Our Watershed Moment” to learn about the policies that will ensure all New Yorkers are treated equitably and to learn what you can do to help stop abusive policing. Topics will include mental health crisis response, digital privacy, pretextual stops, protest, and local police reform.
Voting was important to me as the next step in my civic journey. At last, my voice was being heard. I feel like I am paving the way for my fellow immigrants.
Spread Love NYC is a nine-month long campaign, by NYC Service, to connect New Yorkers with opportunities to make a difference in their communities through short and long-term service projects with local nonprofits.