Advocacy & Community Resources
At Goddard Riverside we do not just offer services. We join with our neighbors and work to tackle community issues. The Family Council and the SRO Law Project are our two primary vehicles for organizing New Yorkers to fight for their rights and have their voices heard by policymakers at all levels. The Single Stop program in Harlem provides a safety net for the working poor living precariously close to homelessness, helping them tap into government funds and services intended for them.
Goddard Riverside’s full-time Family Council organizer meets regularly with groups of program participants to discuss the impact of current public policies and to mobilize advocacy efforts. These groups include our pre-school parent advisory councils, Beacon youth council, advisory councils of our programs for homeless people, and tenant groups from all five of our buildings.
The SRO Law Project’s experienced team of organizers and attorneys is deeply involved in the fight to preserve low-income housing and works with tenants to lobby for their rights. Our attorneys also represent people in court, and if our program participants require other types of legal assistance, our experienced social work staff always has a referral at hand.
Uptown, in Harlem, Single Stop has tripled traffic flow since its opening, connecting community members to a wide-range of benefits that may include food stamps, health care, child care, legal consultation and housing assistance.
Community organizing and advocacy is key to Goddard Riverside’s mission. By providing access to vital legal assistance, a forum for discussion of critical issues, and a vehicle for active citizenship, we empower our neighbors to be their own best resource.
