Monday, January 31, 2011

Have You Joined a Food Justice Working Group Yet??

FFHD Dialogue Circle3


This past fall, the Food, Faith, and Health Disparities Summit was held to work on combatting the food and health disparities that NYC neighborhoods are experiencing. Based on the deliberations of the Summit participants, working groups were formed around the common themes that were brought up to combat the disparities. Below is a description of each group along with sign up information and info on their first meeting. The meetings have begun but it's not too late to join! So, please scroll down, check it out, and join us for a new year to bring real justice in New York City!


How to Register for a Working Group: Please contact me at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org or reach me by cell at917.628.5131.



In Faith & Justice,

Stephen Tickner
NY Faith & Justice
Director, Food Faith & Health Disparities Initiatives

Business Outreach

This group will focus on getting the business community involved in helping to create a more healthy and just NYC. It will work at getting businesses to support various programs around New York City that promote health and healthy living. This could mean the launch of another Food Summit focused on building bridges between faith, advocates, government, and business communities.


Organizer: Sharon Wong, NYC Food & Fitness

Next Meeting: THIS Tuesday, February 1st from 5 to 7:30pm

Location: City Harvest

575 8th Avenue (btw 38th & 39th St)

4th floor

NY, NY 10018


**Please contact Sharon Wong at swong@cityharvest.org to RSVP for this meeting.


The Farm Bill

Every wonder why vegetables and fruit are so expensive and soda and potato chips are so cheap? American tax payers subsidize the production of corn, soy, and sugar, but not vegetables and fruit. In other words, we help big agribusiness produce a whole lot of unhealthy stuff. So, the prices of unhealthy food are cheaper.


What if American tax payers switched their priorities? What if we demanded that our tax dollars be used to help farmers produce healthy foods? This group will focus on the source of the subsidies--the U.S. Farm Bill. They will focus on shifting subsidies from soy, corn and sugar to fruits and vegetables.


Organizer: Flavia DeSouza, Bread for the World

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 10th from 6 to 8pm

NY Theological Seminary Conference Room

@ The Interchurch Center

475 Riverside Dr., 5th floor (entrance on 120th & Claremont, 1 block west of Broadway)

NY, NY 10027

Community Engagement


This group will develop creative ways to engage faith communities, schools, and community groups in hands-on activities to make NYC neighborhoods more healthy. This could take the form of helping communities start co-ops, community gardens, or band together to develop centralized CSA's (Community Sponsored Agriculture projects).


Organizer: Michael Castillejos, Trinity Grace Church

Next Meeting: February 17th (details to come)


Food and Voter Education


This group will educate faith communities and community groups on political leaders' positions and records on issues of food and health and on upcoming laws, ordinances or government actions that will have an impact on the food system of NYC.


In addition, this group will inform faith communities, schools and community groups about how they can take personal and organizational responsibility to make healthy food choices.


Organizer: Kelly Moltzen, Bronx Health Reach and Regina Howard-Norman, Walker Memorial Baptist Church

First Meeting: Monday, February 14th

6:30 to 8:30pm

NY Theological Seminary Conference Room

@The Interchurch Center

5th Floor

475 Riverside Dr. (entrance on SW corner of 120th & Claremont, 1 block west of Broadway)

NY, NY 10115

To RSVP contact Stephen at stickner@nyfiathjustice.org or call 917.628.5131


Incentives to Purchase Healthy Foods

Recently, there's been a lot of hoopla about banning folks on food stamps from purchasing soda. There are arguments for and against this policy, but did you know the average food stamp benefit is only $99 per month? How much healthy food would you be able to purchase with less than $100 per month? Rather than banning the purchase of soda, why don't we make it more possible for poor people to make healthier choices?


This group will call on NYC policy-makers to incentivize the purchase of healthy food for people receiving government assistance.


Organizer: Jaime Gutierrez, NY Academy of Medicine

First Meeting: Wednesday, February 2nd

6 to 8pm

NY Theological Seminary Conference Room

@The Interchurch Center

5th Floor

475 Riverside Dr. (entrance on SW corner of 120th & Claremont)

NY, NY 10115


**Please contact Stephen at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org to RSVP

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

See the World from a Different Perspective!! A One-Week Engagement!

"HOME"

A View From Above That Will Change Your World


A Film By: Yann Arthus-Bertrand

Produced By: Luc Besson & Denis Carot | Narrated By: Glenn Close

As a Gift to New York City, Yann Arthus-Bertrand is offering the public

Free Admission to all Village East Cinema screenings of "HOME"

from February 4-10, 2011

Tickets are available at www.VillageEastCinema.com and at the Village East Box Office

(12th St @ 2nd Ave)

Yann Arthus-Bertrand is in New York for interviews

January 31st-February 6th

Contact for DVDs & Interviews with Director:

Erin Bruce, Falco Ink., (212) 445-7100, ErinBruce@FalcoInk.com

Screening Times, Press Notes, Artwork & Trailer available at:

www.homethemovie.org



Directed by photographer and environmentalist Yann Arthus-Bertrand and narrated by Glenn

Close, “HOME” takes you on a visually stunning, spectacular voyage around the world. It is a

unique film that approaches the current debate about climate change from a whole new angle,

giving the viewer the opportunity to see how our earth is changing. Going well beyond the

scientific reports, charts and graphs, this film is an inspiration that speaks to our hearts and

touches our souls.

Humans have upset the balance of planet Earth. We must act now. It's too late to be a pessimist.

The price is too high. Humanity has barely ten years to reverse the trend and change its patterns

of consumption.

Spanning 54 countries and 120 locations, all seen from the air, the film captures the Earth's most

amazing landscapes, showcasing its incomparable beauty and acknowledging its vulnerability.

HOME” is an emotional reminder of what is at stake: the Earth, in all its beauty, and the

people who live on it. With this film, Arthus-Bertrand hopes to provide a stepping-stone to

further the call to action to take care of our HOME and encourage viewers to become good “eco-

citizens.”

“HOME” is the first film made using only aerial footage. The film marks Yann Arthus-

Bertrand's feature film directorial debut. The movie is carbon offset. This means that all of the

CO2 emissions engendered by making the film are calculated and offset by sums of money that

are used to provide clean energy to those who don't have any. For the last ten years, all the work

of Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been carbon offset.

“HOME” is a non-for-profit film project, produced by film director and producer Luc Besson

(Europacorp), Denis Carot (Elzevir Films) and supported by François-Henri Pinault of PPR

Group, the branding portfolio that handles Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent and several other luxury

brands. In the United States, 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment represents the film.


After completing the amazing imagery of "HOME," Yann Arthus-Bertrand began his next

journey around the world by screening the film for free wherever there was an audience curious

to experience it. The journey began on World Environment Day, June 5, 2009, when the film

was released worldwide across all media platforms -- theater, television, DVD and Internet. Free

screenings took place across 5 continents. Since then, more than 400 million people have

watched "HOME."

Yann Arthus-Bertrand's next journey brings him back to New York City, a city he loves, where

several events inspired by "HOME" culminates in a one-week run of free screenings, from

February 4-10, 2011, at the Village East Cinemas in New York.


ABOUT YANN ARTHUS-BERTRAND

Yann Arthus-Bertrand is a world famous French photographer, filmmaker and

environmentalist who has always had a passion for the animal and natural

world. Some of his works include Lions, Six Billion Others -- Climate Voices,

Earth from Above, 365 Days to Think About Our Planet and New York From

the Air. He founded Altitude, the world's first aerial photography agency. His

foundation GoodPlanet works with individuals, companies and institutions to

help improve their environmental awareness in a variety of ways, including

campaigns to help groups reduce their carbon footprints by 10% in a year.

GoodPlanet Junior is a collaboration with the French League of Education to teach students how

to be good eco-citizens. He is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environment

Programme (UNEP). After the release of HOME, his next project is to launch the official UN

declaration of 2011 as the "International Year of the Forest," by producing a short-film, a book,

an educational poster campaign and an exhibition on the theme of FORESTS.


Monday, January 24, 2011

Sign the Petition!

New York Jobs with Justice has started a new online petition to urge the City Council to keep from allowing Wal-Mart to move in to NYC. The petition states:
When Walmart enters a community, it kills three retail jobs for every two poverty-wage job it “creates.” When a Walmart opened in Chicago, 25% of businesses surveyed within four miles closed. We must prevent this from happening in our communities, which are devastated by high unemployment.

We urge our local elected officials to bring good jobs to our communities, not companies like Walmart that lower the average wage in an area and destroy jobs!
Please sign this petition. Wal-Mart affects all areas of this city from the health of it's residents to the small businesses that make up NYC.

Friday, January 21, 2011

News from Wal-Mart Free NYC!!

FILE UNDER WALMART BELIEVE IT OR NOT:
1 DAY AFTER NEW NATIONAL STUDY LINKS WALMART TO INCREASED OBESITY, RETAILER PROMISES TO PROMOTE HEALTHY FOODS

Smoke Screen PR Push Comes From Largest US Employer of Workers on Food Stamps

New York City Green Grocers Say They’ll Be Squeezed Out by Walmart
New York- Walmart’s announcement today to promote healthy, affordable food was met with skepticism by New York City’s anti-hunger advocates, faith leaders, and green grocers.

“Walmart’s rhetoric doesn’t match reality,” said Bertha Lewis, President, The Black Leadership Institute. “They promise to create jobs- but they just squeeze out the little guy. Now they’re promising to promote healthy foods. The fact of the matter is, right here, right now, they’re contributing to the obesity epidemic.”
“If Walmart wants access to OUR communities, it should come back when its track record is as impressive as its PR campaign,” Lewis continued.

The retailer’s announcement today comes on the heels of a new national study reported yesterday by NPR linking Walmart to increased obesity rates. According to Charles Courtemanche, an assistant professor ofeconomics at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro: “the most obvious story is that Walmart lowers the price of foods and a lot of the foods it has big price advantages on are the processed, inner-aisle types of food that aren’t that good for you."

New York’s green grocers said they’re working hard to provide high quality fruits and vegetables in every corner of the city, but they don’t stand a chance against Walmart. Studies have shown that Walmart pushes out small businesses and the workers they employ when it opens new stores.

“More than 1,200 green grocers offer fresh, affordable produce to New York’s low-income communities,” said Sung Soo Kim, President of the Korean-American Small Business Service Center of New York. “If Walmart moves in, they’ll all be squeezed out.”

A 2009 study by the University of Illinois at Chicago and Loyola University Chicago found that the closer a store’s proximity to Walmart’s location in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, the more likely they were to go out of business.

In Chicago, 82 local retailers were pushed out by Walmart: “The findings support the contention that urban Walmart stores absorb sales from other city stores without significantly expanding the market.” In addition, the study found that there was no increase in retail activity or employment opportunities.

“This study reveals what we have suspected to be true all along, When Wal-Mart comes to urban areas, communities suffer. Not only jobs and small businesses are threatened but peoples bodies are put at risk. NYC needs solutions that cultivate the image of god in our communities; that support local business and public health,” said Lisa Sharon Harper, Executive Director of New York Faith and Justice.

Adults in East New York and New Lots, where Walmart is proposing a new store, have an increased risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes- 3 in 10 adults are obese.

ABOUT WALMART FREE NYC
Walmart Free NYC is a coalition of concerned workers and residents, small business owners, community leaders, clergy and elected officials who are committed to increasing economic opportunities, preserving local businesses, and bringing more jobs to communities across New York.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

You're Invited!

New York Civic
in association with
the New York Divinity School

is pleased to invite you to a panel discussion
Morality and Politics:
Are They Mutually Exclusive?

Tuesday, January 25th, 2011
6:30p.m. - 8p.m.
at the Calvary Baptist Church
123 West 57th Street (between 6th & 7th Aves.)

Moderated by Henry J. Stern with Special Guests:
Richard Brodsky, Former NY Assemblyman
Grace Rauh, NY1 Political Reporter
Dr. Paul de Vries, NYDS President
Arthur Engoron, Civil Court Judge

FREE ADMISSION

Join New York Civic and the New York Divinity School for a spirited panel discussion of politics, ethics, corruption and how to restore the public's faith in government.

Space is limited, so RSVP as soon as possible.
To attend or for inquiries, email morgan@nycivic.org or phone (212)564-4441

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Volunteers needed

On January 19th there will be a mass day of Rider Rebellion leafleting. We will be handing out "Service Advisory" leaflets all across NYC, warning riders to: "Watch Your Wallet, It's Budget Season in Albany." We need your help to get this important message out. Please e-mail volunteer@transalt.org to volunteer on January 19th and stop Albany from robbing our transit dollars.

To find out more information on Transportation Alternatives visit there website here.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Join the Fight!!

This MLK Day Join the Fight for a Living Wage!


Mass Meeting for Living Wages
Thursday January 13th, 6:30 PM
Convent Ave. Baptist Church
145th St. & Convent Ave.
1, A, B, C, D to 145th St.

Over 40 years ago Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. rallied striking sanitation workers and their supporters in Memphis, TN saying, "It is a crime for people to live in this rich nation & receive starvation wages."

Today, in NYC we are asking the City Council to call a hearing on the Fair Wages for New Yorker's Act which will guarantee that all workers in taxpayer subsidized developments are paid at least $10 an hour plus benefits or $11.50 without.


We are going to kick off 2011 and honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by uniting community, faith and labor from around the city for the common cause of dignity and a living wage. We must show the city council through our massive numbers that the people of New York will not stop until a Living Wage is won.

Program will include:


  • First Corinthian Baptist Church Choir
  • Monique Walker, Grammy Award-Winning Singer
  • Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, Jr.
  • Comptroller John Liu
  • Members of the NYC Council
  • Spoken word by Sistas and Brothas United
  • Sermon by Michael A. Walrond, Senior Pastor, First Corinthian Baptist Church
  • Lillian Roberts, President, DC 37
For more information on the LIving Wage NYC click here!

**Submitted by Living Wage NYC and the Micah Institute

Rally at City Hall!

Join small business owners and community members prior to the New York City Council hearing on Wal-Mart and tell the City we don't need or want a Wal-Mart in NYC!

What: Keep Wal-Mart Out of New York City Rally
Where: Steps of City Hall
When: Wednesday, January 12th, 2011
@ 11am


**submitted by the UFCW local 1500


UPDATE: Due to the incoming snow storm, the rally has been rescheduled for February 3 at 11 AM

Friday, January 7, 2011

Alert: Farm Bill Working Group Meeting Rescheduled!

Due to the inclement weather tonight's first meeting of the Farm Bill Working Group has been postponed. Instead, the meeting will be held Friday, January 21st at 5pm.

Looking forward to seeing everyone then!

Farm Bill Working Group Meeting
Friday, January 21st, 2011
5 to 6:30pm
NY Theological Seminary Conference Room
@ The Interchurch Center
5th Floor
475 Riverside Dr. (entrance on SW Corner of 120th & Broadway, 1 block west of Broadway)

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Help Create A More Healthy & Just NYC!!

Food Justice Working Groups
LAUNCH This Week!
Dear Friends and Members of NY Faith & Justice,

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, More than 150 New Yorkers from all five Boroughs convened at the Food Faith and Health Disparities Summit, cosponsored by NY Faith & Justice, Faith Leaders for Environmental Justice, and The Riverside Church in NYC. Participants engaged in a full day of dialogue to develop a prioritized list of actions to help create a more healthy and just NYC.


FFHD Dialogue Circle3


Six working groups were formed in response to Summit Deliberations. Below is a description of each group along with sign up information and info on their first meeting. Two are meeting over the next two weeks! So, please scroll down, check it out, and join us for a new year to bring real justice in New York City!


How to Register for a Working Group: Please contact me atstickner@nyfaithjustice.org or reach me by cell at917.628.5131.



In Faith & Justice,

Stephen Tickner
NY Faith & Justice
Director, Food Faith & Health Disparities Initiatives

Business Outreach

This group will focus on getting the business community involved in helping to create a more healthy and just NYC. It will work at getting businesses to support various programs around New York City that promote health and healthy living. This could mean the launch of another Food Summit focused on building bridges between faith, advocates, government, and business communities.


Organizer: Sharon Wong, NYC Food & Fitness

Next Meeting: THIS Tuesday, February 1st from 5 to 7:30pm

Location: City Harvest

575 8th Avenue (btw 38th & 39th St)

4th floor

NY, NY 10018


**Please contact Sharon Wong at swong@cityharvest.org to RSVP for this meeting.


The Farm Bill

Every wonder why vegetables and fruit are so expensive and soda and potato chips are so cheap? American tax payers subsidize the production of corn, soy, and sugar, but not vegetables and fruit. In other words, we help big agribusiness produce a whole lot of unhealthy stuff. So, the prices of unhealthy food are cheaper.


What if American tax payers switched their priorities? What if we demanded that our tax dollars be used to help farmers produce healthy foods? This group will focus on the source of the subsidies--the U.S. Farm Bill. They will focus on shifting subsidies from soy, corn and sugar to fruits and vegetables.


Organizer: Flavia DeSouza, Bread for the World

Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 10th from 6 to 8pm

NY Theological Seminary Conference Room

@ The Interchurch Center

475 Riverside Dr., 5th floor (entrance on 120th & Claremont, 1 block west of Broadway)

NY, NY 10027

Community Engagement


This group will develop creative ways to engage faith communities, schools, and community groups in hands-on activities to make NYC neighborhoods more healthy. This could take the form of helping communities start co-ops, community gardens, or band together to develop centralized CSA's (Community Sponsored Agriculture projects).


Organizer: Michael Castillejos, Trinity Grace Church

Next Meeting: February 17th (details to come)


Food and Voter Education


This group will educate faith communities and community groups on political leaders' positions and records on issues of food and health and on upcoming laws, ordinances or government actions that will have an impact on the food system of NYC.


In addition, this group will inform faith communities, schools and community groups about how they can take personal and organizational responsibility to make healthy food choices.


Organizer: Kelly Moltzen, Bronx Health Reach and Regina Howard-Norman, Walker Memorial Baptist Church

First Meeting: TBA


Incentives to Purchase Healthy Foods

Recently, there's been a lot of hoopla about banning folks on food stamps from purchasing soda. There are arguments for and against this policy, but did you know the average food stamp benefit is only $99 per month? How much healthy food would you be able to purchase with less than $100 per month? Rather than banning the purchase of soda, why don't we make it more possible for poor people to make healthier choices?


This group will call on NYC policy-makers to incentivize the purchase of healthy food for people receiving government assistance.


Organizer: Jaime Gutierrez, NY Academy of Medicine

First Meeting: Wednesday, February 2nd

6 to 8pm

NY Theological Seminary Conference Room

@The Interchurch Center

5th Floor

475 Riverside Dr. (entrance on SW corner of 120th & Claremont)

NY, NY 10115


**Please contact Stephen at stickner@nyfaithjustice.org to RSVP

Living Wage for Food Workers

Did you know the people who grow, pick, sell, and serve our food are often the hungriest people in our country? This group will join a larger city-wide effort to pass a Living Wage Bill in New York City. We will focus on making sure food workers are a part of this bill.


Organizer: Jennifer Wilder, New York Theological Seminary - Micah Institute

First Meeting: TBA