08 April 2020
We hope the start of April has been treating you relatively well considering these challenging times. We know that you are continuing to practice good physical distancing, especially during these peak virus weeks in NYS, and we hope for all to be safe(r) and healthier than ever – and grieve, too, with those who mourn… This sacred time of year we celebrate new and renewing life. Accordingly, here’s a video on faith communities’ responses to COVID-19, featuring a variety of religious leaders (including WNYPC’s 2020 Annual Dinner keynote speaker, Dr. Cornel West!).
Tomorrow is another National Day of Action, highlighting the importance of our reverence for life. Please join us tomorrow as we Fast for Yemen from sunrise to sunset in solidarity with the people of Yemen. Together, we will abstain from food and water to call attention to the millions of Yemenis facing starvation, thirst, disease, and political violence. Visit fast4yemen.org to pledge to fast and/or donate to “share” a meal with a Yemeni. Share your video pledge using hashtags #Fast4Yemen and #YemenCantWait, and call upon others to act with us.
Please also refer to this CALL TO ACTION from the Fair Fines + Fees Coalition. Considering the national health crisis, we must shift our focus to the immediate needs of our communities. This includes not only water and housing, but also transportation. Cars are still being ticketed and impounded, so we are asking you to help us protect Buffalo residents still on the road.
Three of four of the weekly vigils are going on, while taking great care to observe physical distancing. Please join Prisoners’ Rights, Environmental Justice, and Women in Black every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, respectively. Please see regularly scheduled events below for more details.
Helping others – especially those most vulnerable – is vital right now and we will continue to share opportunities each week in this Weekly Helping Hands news. Erie County has faced recent blood shortages, and blood donors are consistently needed. Please consider donating if/when you can! ConnectLife and the American Red Cross each offer easy-to-schedule appointments in order to take all safety precautions for their staff and donors.
And most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourselves. While there is a lot of work to be done, we want to remind you to please pace yourselves. New York State, which has been hit hard by the current global health crisis, has recently partnered with the meditation and mindfulness app Headspace to offer free tools to help you practice self-care. You can also continue to find support at the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network, as well as great tips and resources from WNYCOSH and the International Institute.
Please see much more below, including virtual events and campaigns this week, and more at wnypeace.org, on our Facebook page, Twitter (@wnypeace), and Instagram (@wnypeace)!
Peace, thanks, solidarity and yes – love.
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
01 April 2020
As we start a new month, we hope you are still coping with “social”/ that is, *physical distancing. We know we have more of this ahead of us, so now is the time to focus on taking care of ourselves and others. We are also learning that we still have work to do. We hope this update serves as a source of both information and support.
Tonight is the premiere of the NOVA program “Cuba’s Cancer Hope” on PBS. Roswell Park medical staff are featured, who have shared with us and the world their gratitude for the Cuban medical personnel! More information below – don’t miss it!
Today and tomorrow we will be out in support of those who are detained. This is more important than ever considering the current public health crisis! There are two different opportunities: First, please join us this evening for our weekly vigil at the Erie County Holding Center, while remembering to adhere to physical distancing guidelines (at least 6 ft). We also hope to see you tomorrow afternoon for our driving rally around the blocks of the local ICE field offices (see below). Please put signs and streamers on the outside of your car so that your participation is visible, and join us in honking so your participation is audible. You can find our route map on Facebook and our website. #DETENTIONISDEADLY
Please also refer to our website for a CALL TO ACTION by the Fair Fines + Fees Coalition. Considering the national health crisis, we must shift our focus to the immediate needs of our communities. This includes not only water and housing, but also transportation. Cars are still being ticketed and impounded, so we are asking you to help us protect Buffalo residents still on the road.
And most importantly, don’t forget to take care of yourselves. You can find support at the Buffalo Mutual Aid Network, as well as great tips and resources from the WNYCOSH here and IIB here. You’ll also see other opportunities to help others out!
Lastly, today is Census Day! Participating in the 2020 Census is a form of civic engagement and is good for our communities; it is used to determine the allocation of healthcare, housing, education, and transportation funding, as well as how legislative districts are drawn. In the current public health crisis, we know just how important it is to protect people over profits – individuals and families over corporations and industries – and this is a way to help do that. A few important points about the Census:
1. It can be completed by mail, phone, or online.
2. When completing the census, include everyone living in your home as of 01 April (today!). This includes all children born as of today!
3. The Census Bureau will not email or text people for the 2020 Census – beware of scams!
4. The deadline to complete the census has been extended to mid-August.
5. The 2020 Census is safe! The data is protected by federal law and cannot be shared with law enforcement agencies, local housing authorities, or other federal agencies.
6. The census is available in 12 non-English languages by phone and online, and has 59 non-English language guides to walk you through the process step-by-step. Guides are also available in Braille and large print English.
31 March 2020
Considering we are all experiencing a national health crisis, we must shift our focus to the immediate needs of the community. This does not only include water and housing, but it also includes transportation. While many of us have to abide by the stay at home order: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/us/coronavirus-stay-at-home-order.html, this doesn’t mean that folks are still not using their cars for necessities such as food, fresh air, essential worker-employment, or medical care. With that said, recently, it has been shared that BPD is still engaging in questionable traffic enforcement practices, folks are still getting their cars impounded, and may still be receiving parking and traffic tickets. We are asking you all to help us protect Buffalo residents still on the roads amid this crisis. This means:
(1) Share this CALL TO ACTION with your networks.
(2) Reporting back to the FFFC page here: https://www.facebook.com/FairFinesFeesBuffalo/ when you witness a traffic stop, tickets being issued, or a car being impounded, by inboxing us or simply emailing Jalonda Hill (jhill@wnylc.com).
(3) Please, if it is safe too, capture the incident on camera and share it with the FFFC FB page and/or Mayor Browns FB page: https://www.facebook.com/MayorByronBrown/ using this description: “Even Amid the COVID-19 Crisis traffic and/or parking enforcement practices are still questionable in Buffalo, NY.”
Your photos and participation can truly confirm that BPD is still out there issuing tickets and impounding vehicles for traffic infractions that are not considered a public safety concern. In the meantime, if anyone here has any information on whether traffic stops are still taking place, if parking or traffic tickets are still being issued, please reach out to me. Impounding vehicles and issuing parking and traffic tickets are a huge moneymaker for the city, so we should not be surprised that the city is still directing their tow truck workers and BPD officers to continue business as usual, despite this crisis.
