CONTACT: Mariah McGough, mariah@vocal-us.org, 203 470 9979
VOCAL-US LAUNCHES NATIONAL MOVEMENT TO END HOMELESSNESS, THE WAR ON DRUGS, MASS INCARCERATION, AND THE AIDS EPIDEMIC
Building on Work of State Chapters in New York, Kentucky, and Texas, VOCAL-US Will Tackle Intersecting Humanitarian & Political Crises, Led by People Directly-Impacted
NEW YORK — Today marks the launch of VOCAL-US (Voices of Community Activists and Leaders), a new national organization dedicated to ending AIDS, the drug war, mass incarceration, and homelessness by building the power and leadership of directly impacted people. VOCAL-US builds on 25 years of community organizing that’s won transformational policy change with VOCAL-NY (founded 1999), and more recently VOCAL-KY (2022) and VOCAL-TX (2023).
“Across the country there is a growing number of us who share a common struggle,” said Jawanza James Williams, Director of Organizing for VOCAL-US. “We know what it’s like to struggle to find services, care, and housing. When we try to get back on our feet, we’re met with tickets, arrests, and politicians using our pain to push policies that don’t work. But when we turn our pain into power and share our stories, we earn a seat at the table too. We’ve seen it work in different cities and states—no matter the political landscape—and it’s time to bring the work to a national level.”
“No state is immune to people struggling on our streets because of high rents and inadequate investment into treatment and care,” said Barry Jones, a leader with VOCAL-TX. “VOCAL-US will give those of us who have lived these struggles a national voice on the issues impacting our entire country. We’re empowered to address these issues in parts of the country where we don’t have a local chapter yet. We’re ready to share our firsthand experiences to create policies that work for us.”
“VOCAL-US is what our country needs at this moment,” said Maurice Noe, a leader with VOCAL-KY. “I’ve always had a voice, but in Kentucky, VOCAL has given me the opportunity to use it. I even had a lawmaker call me directly to say they’ve heard me loud and clear. I will continue to fight alongside VOCAL-US because I know they’ll fight for me.”
The United States is in a dire situation right now — no state or community (urban, suburban, and rural alike) can avoid the intersecting issues of homelessness, the overdose crisis, unmet mental health needs, and extreme poverty. The pain of marginalized and low-income people is being exploited to drag our country backwards, leaving the majority of people in America with policies and politics that don’t represent them. Instead of investing in solutions proven to work, like housing and services, many cities and states are turning to ticketing and arresting people too poor to afford a place to live, or those who need treatment and care but can’t find it. This approach wastes money that could be spent on real solutions, it does nothing to fix the problems and often makes them worse.
VOCAL’s local and state legislative victories have saved and improved hundreds of thousands of lives, and helped to solve community concerns from the grassroots up. Whether it is housing for the homeless, overdose prevention centers to save lives, or replacing the policing of poverty and public health with community investments, all our victories have come through strategic campaigns, direct action, and storytelling to challenge stigmatizing narratives.
VOCAL-US brings decades of experience to national movement building by working in coalition, partnering with local organizations, and bringing the unwavering energy and dedication of our community leaders. VOCAL-US will provide a political home for those who demand real solutions, and a national voice denouncing stigma and calling for justice, compassion, and love.
Learn more about VOCAL-US at vocal-us.org, and follow on Twitter and Instagram.
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