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2005 GRANTEES

Since 1998, the Union Square Awards program has recognized grassroots activists who demonstrate extraordinary commitment, creativity and dedication to social justice. Award recipients have created projects and built organizations that improve the lives of people in communities throughout New York City. In January 2004, the Union Square Awards program launched a grants program to help sustain recipients already recognized who continue to engage in important grassroots social justice work. The purpose is to help strengthen the grassroots community working for social justice goals in New York City.

ELIGIBILITY

The Union Square Awards grants program is open to award recipients who received the award at least two years ago.

The following organizations were selected to receive $25,000 grants for their projects in the following areas:

Community Outreach. This area supports efforts to expand outreach toward building community awareness, mobilizing the public or expanding services.

Organizational Capacity. This category looks to develop the long-term capacity and sustainability of the organization to pursue social justice goals.

Community Outreach Grants

1. Arab American Family Support Center, Inc.
AAFSC’s community outreach project plans to expand the number of families receiving family services and increase awareness of available social, educational and legal resources.

2. The Brotherhood/SisterSol
The Brotherhood/SisterSol’s seeks to strengthen community ties on the Harlem block where it is located through outreach to parents and community members. >

3. Def Dance Jam
DDJ’s Harlem SNAP summer program plans to employ “disabled” youth and produce a “disabled” resource guide, special event, and inter-agency services network in Harlem.

4. Exodus Transitional Community, Inc.
Exodus aims to expand its workforce development office placing formerly incarcerated people in jobs

5. Fresh Youth Initiatives
FYI’s Anti-Violence Youth Center aims to give residents of Washington Heights opportunities for organizing, issue-focused education, community-building and community-centered advocacy.

6. IMPACT Repertory Theatre
Club IMPACT will provide a yearlong hands-on training process to youth members in grassroots organizing, group facilitation and event planning. >

7. Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
NEDAP’s Consumer Financial Justice Project seeks to distribute timely, accurate information on people’s rights in the financial services system; expand ongoing legal education; conduct community education trainings and gather case studies useful to policy advocacy.

8. New York Taxi Workers Alliance
New York Taxi Workers Alliance’s Membership Drive intends to consolidate, strengthen and formalize its membership/structures.

9. Prison Moratorium Project
The PMP News Project will help strengthen its community base building and outreach capacity for the Youth Rights Now!: School Safety Campaign.

10. UPROSE, Inc.
UPROSE’s At the Table Leadership Training will develop youth’s literacy, analytical and critical thinking skills within the context of social justice and global struggles of liberation.

Organizational Capacity Building

1. GEMS (Girls Educational and Mentoring Services)
GEMS plans to create a package of materials and resources that will raise public awareness and provide the organization with increased capacity. >

2. Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees
HWHR intends to structure a formal membership base, update its technological capacity, and develop strategic and fundraising plans.

3. New York City AIDS Housing Network
NYCAHN will continue to provide its core leadership development training program providing community organizing, advocacy, media and critical thinking skills to its membership.

4. South Asian Youth Action (SAYA!)
SAYA! will hire a development associate to continue building its financial and organizational infrastructure.

Collaboration

1. ECPAT-USA
The Sunset Park Human Trafficking Coalition Project in Brooklyn brings together local community-based organizations to expand efforts to identify, assist and protect victims of human trafficking.

2. The Latin American Workers Project
The Street Vendors for Justice Coalition is organizing street vendors in Manhattan and Brooklyn to secure better living and working conditions and respect for the labor and civil rights of immigrants.

3. Project Reach
Project Reach will involve ten organizations in the development and implementation of a youth organizing training called Social Justice Boot Camp.

4. Sustainable South Bronx (SSB)
SSB, as part of the Southern Bronx River Watershed Alliance, will hire a coordinator for the Decommissioning the Sheridan Expressway Campaign.

5. Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
This project brings together three organizations to address the contamination at the former Loral Electronics Systems site located in a residential neighborhood in the Soundview area of the Bronx.