Hello Everyone,
Next week is my 41st birthday. Last year, we celebrated at the Picture the Homeless fundraiser.
This year, I’d like to celebrate my birthday with you at two fundraisers for two of my favorite organizing groups in town: Rev. Billy and the Church of Stop Shopping (11/16) and the New York City AIDS Housing Network (11/11). I am on the board for the Church of Stop Shopping and on the host committee for NYCAHN. Both groups had amazing years this year, creating potent people’s victories with little to no budgets. Rev. Billy and company spent much of 2010 dropping dirt in the lobbies of Chase banks around the city in protest of the bank’s continued support for mountain top removal. This simple gesture of direct action forced a change in corporate policy. One of my favorite Rev Billy shows this year was for the Gardens and Mountains Save Us! show celebrating this community victory, in connection with the ongoing struggle for green space and public space in NYC! After watching Rev. Billy shows for over a decade, this was probably the best, most connecting, community show I have seen by the Church of Stop Shopping. Please join us for the Rev Billy benefit http://www.revbilly.com/events/church-of-life-after-shopping-benefit
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2010 7:00PM - 10:00PM
LOCATION
Theatre 80
80 St. Mark's PLace, at 1st ave
New York, NY 10003
http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=2682
If you can’t make this show, please purchase a ticket for the 10th Anniversary Gala of the New York City AIDS Housing Network (NYCAHN) on November 11th.
For any who knows me, I take few things more seriously than community organizing and building social justice movements. And no group in New York continues the direct action AIDS movement strategy like NYCAHN. This year alone the group successfully pushed the state to decriminalize syringe possession, as well as pushed to have the Senate and Assembly pass a 30% rent cap bill. The governor veto’d the bill and NYCAHN has been after him ever since. November 9th, we have another demo to get the governor to sign this bill at 11 AM at City Hall Park! http://www.housingfightsaids.org/2010/11/major-rally-and-civil-disobedience-on.html
Over the years, NYCAHN consistently showed the very best in brilliant, strategic, ethical and transformative organizing. NYCAHN staff and leaders guided and aided my students as they learned the tricks of organizing. They were the most militant and fierce member of the my steering committee at Housing Here and Now. Now I draw from their membership models of homeless and formerly homeless people in my work at Queers for Economic Justice. No group has had a greater impact on how the AIDS movement churns forward, connecting local struggles with global justice campaigns.
NYCAHN organizes homeless and formerly homeless people living with HIV and AIDS in New York City. They prioritize people directly affected as leading all their work. They were one of the few progressive groups who were successful in getting legislation through the New York State Senate this year. They use direct action, fierce protest, and serious on the ground organizing to wage some of the strongest left campaigns in New York. Through their sister organization, VOCAL, former and active drug users fight for civil rights and just drug policy. NYCAHN is a core strategic leader in building the future of a left in New York lead by those with the most stake in fundamentally transforming this city.
In just over two weeks, NYCAHN/VOCAL are holding a major fundraiser celebrating their 10th Anniversary on Thursday, November 11. I'm proud to be on the Host Committee for the event. For all who can afford the $75 tickets, I want to strong encourage you to purchase a ticket, including for those who live outside of the city or who can't attend. For everyone, I ask you to donate whatever you are able to NYCAHN.
Too purchase tickets or make a donation, go to
http://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?ETID=2682
The event details:
NYCAHN/VOCAL 10th Anniversary Gala
November 11, 2010, from 7 PM to 10 PM
1199 Penthouse
330 West 42nd St, 33rd Floor
Please let me know if you are able to join us or otherwise contribute to NYCAHN. Thank you.
In Solidarity,
Benjamin Shepard
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