SOCIAL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
“We need in every bay and community a group of angelic troublemakers.”
― Bayard Rustin
― Bayard Rustin
ABOUT USThe GNTA first formed a Social Justice Committee in 2019. As a steering committee we had three main goals: identify GNTA members that were already involved in social justice issues, identify the issues that were most important to our members, and create a calendar to advertise events supporting these issues. Slowly but surely, we are making progress towards achieving these goals.
There are seven main issues that, as a committee, we will focus our attention towards: fair trade, women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, wage equity, poverty and hunger, gun violence, and racial equality. All of these issues, in some way or another, impact our community as educators. Our goal is to present our members with the opportunity to make a difference with all or some of these causes. In order to do that we will be posting events on the calendar below that anyone can participate in. Please feel free to send us information regarding other events that support our seven main issues. You can contact us via email at: [email protected], speak directly with Ivy Miller, or fill out the event form below. Please be advised that we will only be posting non-denominational events, at this time. As our work as a committee continues, we will keep you posted about updates. The Social Justice Steering Committee, Jennifer Greenspoon (co-chair) Jennifer Snyder (co-chair) Jeff Bernstein Patti Crisafulli Sandi Cooper Maddie Dressner Joan Greenberg Ivy Miller 
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GNTA COMMUNITY UPDATEThe GNTA's Social Justice Committee, Chaired by Jennifer Snyder, was again featured in the press for their critical work to help feed the Great Neck community.
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Past ActionsJULY 2020: STop, drop and read
On July 29, more than 50 GNTA members volunteered at South Middle School for a community book exchanged entitled "Stop Drop and Read". Together, we collected thousands of books from generous community members, sanitized them, and organized the books by level, and then packaged them with other summer fun items donated by the GNTA. Almost 200 hundred students received a surprise summer fun tote bag delivered to their homes by staff volunteers. The community donations were so generous that hundreds of boxes of extra books were delivered to Book Fairies in Freeport, which is an organization that distributes books to those unable to access on their own.
It was a tremendous success thanks to the teachers, parents, and students working together -- precisely the template necessary for effective community engagement. MAY 2020: GNTA DONATES 15K TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF GREAT NECK
WE ARE HAPPY TO REPORT THAT GNTA HAS MADE AN ADDITIONAL DONATION IN THE AMOUNT OF $15,000 TO THE ROTARY CLUB OF GREAT NECK WHICH HAS BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER MEALS TO LOCAL FAMILIES FROM ANTONINO'S AND OTHER LOCAL EATERIES ONCE A WEEK. THIS DONATION COMES FROM OUR VOTE COPE FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT EQUAL TO WHAT WAS DONATED TO ST. ALOYSIUS INTERFAITH FOOD PANTRY ONLY A MONTH AGO.
WE ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR SOCIAL WORKERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO IDENTIFY ORGANIZATIONS THAT PROVIDE A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THIS WORK. THESE WILL BE ADDED TO OUR WEBSITE. LASTLY, WE ARE WORKING ON AN AD. CAMPAIGN (SOCIAL MEDIA AND LOCAL MAILING) SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE MAY CONTRIBUTE TO THIS WORK AS WELL. APRIL 2020: GNTA GIVES BACK:
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NEW! Social Justice OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES
SID JACOBSON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER (SJJCC)
The SJJCC is supporting our community throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The SJJCC Community Needs Bank has been collecting food helping with distribution for many of the local Food Pantries that our families are accessing. See below regarding what is currently being requested by their contact-free drop-off collection program: I. BANK BUDDY CURBSIDE DONATIONS Shop in your pantry for our most needed items to help us stock the shelves of our Community Needs Bank to donate food to our neighbors in need:
Bring your donations and personal message (see below) to our Community Needs Bank for curbside, contact-free drop off! At Sid Jacobson JCC’s Community Needs Bank 200 Forest Drive, Suite 11 (click here for directions) Sundays, May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, and May 31 12-2PM II. KINDNESS CARDS Create a postcard or card with a personal message that can be sent with a packaged meal to our neighbors in need. At Sid Jacobson JCC’s Community Needs Bank 200 Forest Drive, Suite 11 (click here for directions) Sundays, May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, and May 31 12-2pm III. PARENT CONNECT LINE The Center for Parent Engagement and Education also offers a Parent Connect Line, which could be an incredibly valuable resource to some of our struggling families struggling with the Social/Emotional/Behavioral challenges resulting from the school closures. PARENT CONNECT LINE: Talk all things parenting as well as gain access to confidential support + informational resources. 516.484.1545 ext. 790. IV. MASK MAKING Calling all sewers! Our Knitzvah group is creating masks to be donated to our vulnerable community members and we are always looking for those that can help in making masks by providing you with materials. Fabric can be picked up on Sundays during Curb Your Mitzvah, and completed masks can be dropped off then as well. You can use your own mask template, Quilt in a Day’s surgical mask cover template, or Instructable Crafts DIY cloth face mask template. Fabric is provided to you courtesy of The Fortunoff Family, and brought to you through the support of The Bristal Assisted Living. At Sid Jacobson JCC’s Community Needs Bank 200 Forest Drive, Suite 11 (click here for directions) Sundays, May 3, May 10, May 17, May 24, and May 31 12-2pm V. KINDNESS ROCKS Looking for a fun project for all ages? Collect some rocks and decorate them with a kind message to be added to our Tikkun Olam Rock Garden, located right outside the entrance at SJJCC! Drop-off anytime at 300 Forest Drive. ORGS & NEws of interest
advice for new social justice teachers: i wish had knowFROM OUR FRIENDS AT TEACHING TOLERANCE
MARCH FOR OUR LIVES
A student-run organization aimed at harnessing the power of young people across the country to fight for sensible gun violence prevention policies that save lives. Click here for more information.
NY: the state with the greatest income disparity in the US
This year, NYSUT will be focused on educating, mobilizing, and advocating for common-sense legislation to fund education initiatives, from pre-kindergarten to college.
Our aim will be to draw attention to the impact that inadequate funding — including funding the Foundation Aid formula, funding for SUNY and CUNY, and workplace protections for our school-related professionals — has had on our schools, our kids, and our communities. You can help us kick off that campaign TODAY by signing our petition! Make your voice heard! Take action to sign the petition demanding an end to inequality in New York State! |
