We're gathering soon for our 2020 Health Care Justice Leadership Annual Gala to celebrate and salute some very worthy individuals and groups who've risen to the occasion in exemplary ways, and want to invite you to join us!

Our honorees this year include:

For Governmental Leadership -- New York State Assemblymember Karines Reyes (District 87, Bronx.)   Prior to beginning her legislative career, she worked as an oncology nurse at Montefiore Medical Center and the Eastchester Cancer Center. During her nursing career, she became active in the leadership of the New York State Nurses Association, including her bargaining unit. At several times over the past decade, Ms. Reyes stepped away from her day-to-day life to join with nurses providing emergency relief work following natural disasters in Haiti (2010) and Puerto Rico (2017), and most recently went back to work as a nurse at Montefiore to provide care to patients with COVID-19 illness.

For Trade Union Leadership -- All the various New York unions who represent frontline health care workers, including the Committee of Interns and Residents; District Council 37 AFSCME, Locals 389, 420, 436, 768, 1189, 2507 & 3621; Doctors Council; Federation of Nurses/UFT; New York Professional Nurses Union; New York State Nurses Association; 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, and the SUNY Downstate Chapter of United University Professions.  These unions’ leaders and members have heroically stepped forward since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic across our city and region. They have performed far above and beyond the call of duty, treating patients seriously ill with COVID-19 disease for hours and days on end. Many became ill themselves, and some made the ultimate sacrifice of their very lives.

For Community Leadership...

People of Color Health Justice Campaign, a collaboration that came together early this year in response to the severe impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic upon communities of color across our city. It is jointly led by Adhikaar, African Services Committee, Black Feminist Project, Coalition for Asian-American Children and Families, Commission on the Public’s Health System in NYC, Laal NYC, Mekong NYC, Minkwon Center, Mothers on the Move, and Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center.

...and Katie Robbins, who has just stepped down as Executive Director of the Campaign for New York Health after 4 years. Prior to that she was Executive Director of the New York Metro Chapter of Physicians for a National Health Programs from 2014-2017 after serving as a part-time Projects Manager from 2012, and National Organizer for Healthcare Now from 2008-2011. During the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011-12, Katie helped to spearhead its “Health Care for the 99%” component.

We're delighted that our keynote speaker will be long-time social justice and workers' rights warrior Heather Booth, Founder and Chair of the Midwest Academy, and co-author of the seminal community and labor organizer's handbook "Organizing for Social Change". (They've even made a documentary movie about her!)

Please make plans to join us on Wednesday evening January 13th from 6 to 7:15 p.m. This year for the first time we'll be holding our Gala online, as is the necessary practice these days. We'll miss seeing and greeting everyone in person, but look forward to doing so again in another year. In the meantime, feel free to bring your own libations and nibbles to your at-home screen!

How to attend our online 2020 Annual Gala:

• FIRST, EVERYONE should RSVP here on this page so that your name gets on the list to receive further information by email.
• NEXT, Individuals should make your donation here (by close of business on Tuesday January 12.) Our suggested contribution is $75/person, however any amount larger or smaller is welcome and appreciated to attend. Once your donation is made, you will receive the online connection information for the event.
• Unions and organizations can submit their donations here once a specific commitment is made. Groups can support our Gala by joining the Host Committee, placing an announcement in the Commemorative Journal, and/or reserving a package of tickets.  Each group will receive a number of complimentary tickets based on the type and amount of support, and they can be used by any leader, member, or staff. Please check with your lead contact for our Gala to receive the connection info for the event and any questions you may have.

Finally, we need to ask everyone to please be as generous as you can with your financial support for our Annual Gala this year. Because of the arrival of the pandemic last spring, we had to forego our Annual Dues Campaign that we normally conduct at that time of year. Fortunately, we had sufficient reserves on hand at the time to see us through the summer and fall, but now our resources are depleted and must be replenished for us to continue our important work in 2021.  

We have a lot of crucial work before us to continue the now-very-crucial fight for health care for all, given the ongoing pandemic. The good news is that because of the new make-up of the State Legislature resulting from the recent elections, we now have some new opportunities to make significant progress on several fronts. We must now seize the moment to join forces with others to reject austerity politics and push for broad social justice, including universal health care. Your strong financial support will enable us to forge ahead as a lead voice for health care justice in those alliances.