COVID-19 Resources
FUNDRAISERS
Network of Religious Communities (NRC) Food Pantry, an organization of religious communities (denominations, congregations and religious organizations) serving Western New York. They represent Baha’i, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh and Unitarian communities. Please support NRC’s food pantry, a mainstay for many Buffalo families. You can write a check payable to NRC with “Food Pantry” in the memo, and mail to to 1272 Delaware Ave, Buffalo, 14209.
FeedmoreWNY is working diligently to react to the ever-changing developments of the COVID-19 outbreak and to prepare for the potential expansion of illness throughout our community. You can donate and/or volunteer!
Fight COVID-19 in Erie County by Providing Critical Aid to Incarcerated People: This unprecedented time emphasizes the already egregious conditions of our county jails and failure of the Timothy Howard to care for people in the custody of his office. We are showing support for people who are incarcerated by raising funds for all of their commissaries and continuing to call for these groups to be released. Organized by SURJ with WNYPC and others co-sponsoring.
Friends of Democracy Now! WNY: Democracy Now! is an independent news show hosted by Amy Goodman and Juan Gonzalez. Amy Goodman was the speaker at our 50th annual dinner and we are actively working to support independent news stations like Democracy Now! who focus on news stories that do not get airtime in popular media. We desperately need this type of journalism and are thrilled that Democracy Now! is being broadcast in Buffalo! M-F, 8-9am on WBNY 91.3FM. You can catch it streaming online at wbny.buffalostate.edu or http://tunein.com/radio/WBNY-913-s27549/. Go to their website and donate, subscribe to their daily digest, and call local stations to encourage them to pick up Democracy Now!
#NYUnited Fund: Help the NY Immigration Coalition to ensure the health and safety of NY’s 4 million immigrants, a critically important task.
WNY Peace Center: We work hard for the community and give virtually everything away for free. We support many other organizations as well, and work to serve the community. Donating will also re-up your membership.
CAMPAIGNS
TELL CONGRESS TO DOUBLE THE CDC BUDGET & #MOVETHEMONEY: The spread of COVID-19 has exposed a rot at the center of American society: that we siphon 55% of our discretionary budget into the Pentagon — $738 billion — while we allocate only 1.5% of that — $11 billion — to the Centers for Disease Control. Tell Congress to double the CDC’s budge by cutting money to the Pentagon.
END SANCTIONS: #SANCTIONSKILL: At least 1,800 Iranians DEAD. Over 23,000 INFECTED. AN ESTIMATED 3.5 MILLION MAY DIE. Urge Congress to introduce COVID19-related legislation to lift sanctions on Iran. And please urge your congresspeople to end all sanctions! #SanctionsKill #SanctionsSpreadCOVID19
PEACE AND DIPLOMACY LOBBYING: Demand peace, diplomacy, and sane domestic and foreign policies from your Senators and/or House Representatives.
RELEASE AGING PEOPLE IN PRISON: Join RAPP and concerned community members across New York State for a day of action and virtual press conference. New York State has the eighth highest rate of people serving a life sentence in the country—roughly 9,200 people. More than 1,000 of them are serving Life Without Parole or virtual life without parole—with a minimum sentence of 50 years—sentences. 75 percent are People of Color. Long and life sentences combined with few opportunities for release have created a crisis of aging, sickness and death in New York State prisons. There are now more than 10,000 people in NYS prisons—20% of the prison population—aged 50 or older; most are Black and Latinx. While the prison population in NYS fell by 27% between 2000 and 2016, the number of incarcerated older people more than doubled. Older people, especially those who have been convicted of the most serious crimes, pose little if any risk to public safety. In fact, when released, many formerly incarcerated older people engage in work that enhances public safety and community health. COVID + PRISON = DEATH! #CUOMOLETTHEMGO
#DEMANDJUSTICE #HOUSINGJUSTICE: Hold District Attorneys across New York accountable to ending mass incarceration, plus fighting against tenant abuse, homelessness, environmental violence, and racist housing policies.
LET MY PEOPLE GO: Support the campaign to free our immigrant and refugee neighbors from detention facilities during the current public health crisis: https://nyimmigrantfreedom.org/let-my-people-go/
FAIR FINES + FEES JUSTICE CENTER Policy Recommendations and Reform Tracker on COVID-19: Support evidence-based policies that jurisdictions around the country should take
to help stem this public health and economic crisis.
RESOURCES AND INFORMATION
Buffalo Mutual Aid Network: The Buffalo Mutual Aid Network is a social action group for peer-to-peer organizing, humanitarian assistance, and reliable information sharing developed in response to the COVID-19 crisis.
Western New York Council on Occupational Safety and Health (WNYCOSH) provides occupational safety and health services through information, education/training and outreach to eliminate health and safety hazards in the workplace. For up-to-date information on the response to coronavirus (COVID-19), and what workers can do to protect themselves, their coworkers and families.
International Institute of Buffalo’s Resources for Vulnerable Populations: This list has informational resources, community need resources, and resources to help students who are out of school continue to learn! We will continue to update these lists as more information becomes available. If you have resources to add, please send them to us at: awhitehorne@iibuff.org Remember that we are stronger when we work together!
Headspace for A NY State of Mind: New York has been hit hard by the current global crisis. In partnership with Governor Cuomo, Headspace wants to be here for you — to help you find some time and space as you weather this storm. From Buffalo to Long Island, Albany to the Lower East Side, this special NY collection of meditation, sleep, and movement exercises are here to support you through stressful and challenging times. Helping you — and your fellow New Yorkers — stay strong and be kind to yourselves, with a New York state of mind.