ANNUAL DINNER VOLUNTEERS WANTED

If you get Metro Justice emails, you will know by now that our Annual Dinner is taking place on Saturday, May 9th, and we're looking forward to it! Besides being our most important annual fundraiser — and thus an event that enables so much of the other work we do — it is also a wonderful occasion for us to sit down to a meal together, catch up on the doings of the past year, and have some fun.

It is also an occasion for many hands to make the work lighter! We need volunteers to help every year with set up and clean up, checking people in for the event, making sure the auction and raffle go smoothly, and keeping the food tables and drinks area in good working order. Both new and experienced volunteers are welcome — and needed! Click on the link to contact Alice Carli, who can help you find the right way to make what's sure to be a great night rank among our most successful yet.

UPCOMING EVENTS         

Tuesday, April 14, 6 pm Bill and Bob’s, 298 Monroe Ave., Presentation & Workshop: Reviewing City Council President Report on Homelessness Dig into the City Council President’s Report on Homelessness and join a real, solutions-focused discussion.

Wednesday, April 15, 6-8 pm Join RED (Rochester for Energy Democracy) for their biweekly meeting at the Gregory St Office, where we’ll discuss items for the week in our quest to replace RG&E. 

Thursday, April 16, 3 pm Online session about joining the International Solidarity Movement to answer the Palestinian call for solidarity presence in the West Bank

Thursday, April 16, 4 pm Town of Alabama Fire Hall (2230 Judge Rd, Basom, NY 14013, 50-minute drive from Rochester). Public Hearing on STAMP data center RSVP here to let us know you’re coming: all allies are very much welcome. Then tell all your neighbors, friends, and family. We want an even bigger turnout this time! Read the March 19 hearing transcript here. 

Thursday, April 16, 7 pm If you miss the Alabama Town Hall, there is a Stop Data Centers New York Volunteer Meeting zoom meeting you can make instead! At this virtual event, we'll discuss new legislation that presses the pause button on data centers to fully assess their risks and institute regulations that protect New Yorkers from the runaway damage this industry is already inflicting. And we'll share opportunities to pressure lawmakers to stand up to the fossil fuel industry, the crypto bros, and Big Tech, and pass this urgent bill.

Friday, April 17, end of day Latest updated deadline for STAMP Comments - they're  making an impression! Here is a quick-comment STAMP Opposition page from NY Renews to add your voice.

Monday, April 20, 8 pm Eyes on ICE Train-the-Trainer event. This session will equip participants to train others on core Know Your Rights topics such as the right to remain silent, the right to refuse to consent to searches, and the right to record ICE and other law enforcement officials. We will also cover best practices for reducing risks when exercising rights.

Tuesday, April 21, 5:30-6:30 pm Climate Justice Alliance webinar: Debunking Data Centers: Jobs and Labor. Data center developers frequently use the prospect of job creation to incentivize development, secure a social license to operate and gain local official buy-in. In reality, research points to job creation that is obscure, minimal and highly technical.

Tuesday, April 21, 7-8:30 pm Redefining Allyship: Moving from White Saviorship to Co-conspiratorship This free virtual training from Islip-Smithtown NAACP is for: White advocates who are looking for ways to improve their advocacy; White advocates who want to act in true solidarity with racially marginalized communities; White advocates who think they don't need this training

Saturday, April 25, 10 am-noon Monroe County Safety Marshals is offering training in how to become a marshal for events and rallies, along with purchase of the necessary equipment (vest, radio, etc.). This is the first of several trainings to be held in Gates, Fairport, Henrietta and on line. Click here to sign up for any of them. 

Monday, April 27, 7-8 pm Join our monthly (4th Mondays) zoom meeting of the Western NY Hub for the Campaign for NY Health, working to pass universal healthcare in New York state. We need this now more than ever! And legislators now privately agree - they just need our political backing to fight down the insurance lobby and bring it to a vote. 

Thursday, April 30, 5:30–7:30 pm Irondequoit Public Library (First floor, Room 113) Community Workshop: Build a Better Irondequoit Advocating for More Housing Options and Dealing with the Housing Crisis in Irondequoit - how to create inclusive attainable housing. The session builds on previous workshops regarding the history of racially restrictive covenants in Irondequoit, but the main focus is on taking practical action today. And free pizza!

Friday, May 1, 5:30-7 pm Washington Square Park, 10 St. Maty’s Pl., May Day Rally: Workers Over Billionaires Join the Rochester Labor Council for our annual May Day Celebration! 

Saturday, May 9, 5-8 pm Metro Justice Annual Dinner, AFSCME Hall, 1956 Lyell Ave (just east of 390 Lyell Ave. exit). Our Annual Dinners have for many years been a mainstay of our annual fundraising, supporting our outreach and organizing work. Please use the link to sign up for tickets today, so that our fundraising volunteers are not madly scrambling to keep up with tickets and tables at the last minute. Thank you!

DESKTOP ACTIONS

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Ongoing

Demand Progress invites us to sign their petition urging Congress to block Paramount's deal to buy Warner Brothers. The merger violates antitrust laws, would hurt consumers and artists, and poses serious ethical concerns, including allowing Trump and allies to increase their control of news media.

With student loans now being moved from the Department of Education to the Treasury Department, the system is clearly in transition. Borrowers shouldn’t pay the price for that chaos. Sign the petition demanding an immediate payment pause so the government can get this right and put Americans first.

The League of Women Voters invites us to sign their petition to our federal representatives telling them to reject additional funding for ICE; investigate ICE, CBP, and the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) use of force; impose additional DHS guardrails and accountability measures on immigration enforcement; and take steps to protect the constitutional rights of civilians to peacefully protest and assemble without having their lives threatened or taken.

Deadline extended to 4/15 to protest the massive AI data center in Genesee County at the STAMP site, which abuts Tonawanda Seneca land. The proposed project wants $1.44 billion in subsidies, would have a massive environmental impact, and create very few jobs, all while impinging on the human rights of the Tonawanda Seneca Nation and using water from the Monroe County Water Authority. Please submit comments using these tools to stop this poorly thought-out proposal:

1. Submit written comments on the requested financial incentives and environmental review
2. Demand that the GCEDC Board of Directors extend the Data Center Comment Period
3. And tell Kathy Hochul to come out in opposition to the Monster Data Center and STAMP!

Add your name to the letter to New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie to bring the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act to a vote! This Act would greatly reduce the amount of single-use packaging that we pay for - in money, health and climate. Our goal is 10,000 letters sent; 1,669 sent as of 3/31/2026. 

Help end federal violence against Cayuga Nation in central NY: information link and gofundme link ($6,405 raised of $9,000 goal as of 3/31/26)

Tell Governor Hochul to pass NY4All with this one-click email tool. And call her office regularly at (518) 474-8390. NY4All would prohibit both formal and informal collusion between local police and ICE/CBP in perpetuity. Hochul has proposed her own legislation which only covers formal collusion for the next 3 years: Hochul’s proposal is weak and irrelevant, New York must pass NY4All into law. (2,278 messages sent of 3,000 goal as of 3/31/26)

The Campaign for New York Health is doing ongoing work with collaborators to push for passage of the New York Health Act, the best response our state could make to the disastrous healthcare cuts by the Trump administration. Sign our petition to legislative leadership here, and use this tool to email your Senator and Assemblymember.

Do you know where your birth certificate is? Three voter suppression bills (the SAVE Act) in the federal House and Senate would force Americans to present a passport, birth certificate, or other citizenship papers in order to register to vote in federal elections, and are clearly designed to deter millions of people from casting their ballot in our democracy. Click here to thank your Democratic senators for holding the line, and encourage them to continue, or encourage Republicans to rethink their support.

LEARN MORE

Rochester Gardeners Resource Guide  Tis the season! This info-packed guide includes items about free soil testing for home gardeners and other resources available to beginners and experienced gardeners alike! Gardening has been done in our soil for thousands of years. Today, it is a revolutionary practice.