SOCIAL JUSTICE NOW

The justice of God is always restorative. God is constantly working to restore systems, communities, families, and humanity. For us to be a just and generous church, we serve as a way to partner with God in bringing restoration to all things. 

• We work alongside others to bring justice to systems that oppress or marginalize others.

• We work alongside others to bring dignity and restoration to human life.

• We work alongside others to be prophetic voices to our communities and our city.

We invest our whole selves in vulnerable, inclusive, and imperfect community, committed to living out our stories together. We build honest relationships with one another and we are fully invested in living and affirming the stories of absolutely everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or socioeconomic standing. We work with marginalized immigrant groups and to end systemic racial injustice. Forefront is privileged to be financial partners with Arab American Family Support Center, W/ Collective, Left Hand Church, and Emmaus Collective.

During this pandemic, the Forefront social justice team continues its volunteer efforts to raise awareness, fundraise, and provide on the ground support for five specific communities:

• Black Lives Matter

• Asian Americans

• Immigrants

• Incarcerated Siblings

• Victims of Domestic Abuse

Black Lives Matter

We are not preaching the gospel if we are not acting on upending broken systems that are taking the lives of our Black siblings. 

Let's preach the gospel and get TF to work. 

If you need to learn more then read this article and join our Anti-Racism Group. 

If you're a Person of Color in need of a safe space to share then sign up for our Decolonization Group that meets every two weeks.

Are you overwhelmed? Pissed off? Tired? Angry? We have a care team that is ready to help.

Below is a selection of our blog articles related to the cause of racial justice.

Racism towards Asian Americans - How you can help

Media coverage of the coronavirus has led to a nosedive in Chinese businesses and the unabashed racial violence spouted from the mouth of our nation’s leaders have led to a complete compromise of the safety and security of the AAPI community. Our Chinatowns are hanging by a thread and some employers are paying their workers out of pocket, knowing that this is their livelihood.

Five ways you can help

1. If you live close enough to Manhattan Chinatown, Flushing Chinatown, or Brooklyn Chinatown (or have a car) and ordering takeout/supporting supermarkets is financially viable, please do so (databases of shops open for biz)

2. The Asian American for Equality launched a GoFundMe campaign in support of our NYC-based businesses in Chinatown. If you're able to make a donation, visit the link here. #SaveChinatown #DumplingsAgainstHate #Covid19

3. Report hate crimes - Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council (AP3CON), Chinese for Affirmative Action, and the Department of Asian American Studies at San Francisco State University have put together a data tracker so that hate crimes can be reported here

Our Partner in fighting for the rights of immigrants in NYC

Forefront proudly supports MRNY and its many programs targeted to struggling communities.

Make the Road New York builds the power of immigrant and working class communities to help achieve dignity and justice. Our model integrates four core strategies for concrete change that millions of families feel every day:

Legal and Survival Services to tackle discrimination, abuse and poverty

Transformative Education to develop community members’ abilities to lead our organization, our movement, and society

Community Organizing to transform the systems and power structures affecting our communities

Policy Innovation to rewrite unjust rules and make our democracy truly accountable to all of us

If you live in NYC, you can help today: MRNY needs volunteers who can come in person to help distribute food (in a safe way!) and volunteers who have cars and can deliver food to those who are unable to leave their homes.

Brooklyn

Delivery: Thursdays 7am-2pm Distribution: Fridays and Mondays from 9am-3pm

Impact on Incarcerated Elderly

Victims of Domestic Violence - Resources

Domestic violence is a serious, pervasive problem here in the US: 1 in 4 women, and 1 in 7 men have experienced some form of physical violence by an intimate partner.

This complex and consequential health epidemic is a universal issue, occurring in every culture and social group. Violence against women has been called “the most pervasive yet least recognized human rights abuse in the world.”

With the added pressure of the pandemic today, unfortunately, victimization is on the rise.

Our Justice Team at Forefront actively supports those in our community who are victims of domestic violence. Providing support to move apartments, covering expenses, and counseling are some examples.

We urge those who want to stand up for this injustice to visit these two organizations’ websites:

Center Against Domestic Violence (NYC)

National Domestic Violence Hotline (National)

Those of you who may be victims, please contact us here and we will reach out to you and do our best to fulfill your needs.

4. Eviction moratorium and suspension of mortgage are a good start, but as hospitality and service workers lose their jobs, protection from eviction won’t be granted and eviction would merely be stalled. Support tenant organizers like CAAAV (twitter) who are trying to move quickly on supporting tenants; sign this petition requesting Gov. Cuomo to #cancelrent; and check out this rent strike toolkit

5. Asian Americans for Equality has provided a wide range of services for the community and may be able to offer assistance especially with applying for relief from the recent stimulus bill - contact information here

Speak up for your neighbors, call out the racism where you see it.

Queens

Delivery: Tuesdays 7am-2pm Distribution: Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9-3pm

Email denia.perez@mrny.org to learn more.

Denia is a member of our justice team here at Forefront Church!

Our elders—our grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents— are the bedrock of our society. And they are incredibly at risk today. We traveled to Albany in January (see photo) and lobbied together with Release Aging People in Prison, RAPP , for the release of the elderly. There are over 200,000 people over 55 years old in prison today, according to the Bureau of Justice. This article gives a broad picture of the history and current dilemma they face. 

Now, with Covid-19, social distancing is impossible in prisons, where people live in close proximity to one another. Basic hygiene is not accessible -- the Metropolitan Detention Center, located in Industry City here in NY, currently has no soap. Hand sanitizer is often treated as contraband. Already, one 58 year old man has died of Coronavirus in prison. It’s only a matter of time before we see mass deaths. We need to release elderly people from prisons now. Older people are substantially less likely to commit crimes after being released. And as Christians, we believe in the power of redemption, second chances, and forgiveness.

How can you take action?
Attend one of RAPP’s online events and participate in their social media campaign, calling on your state governor to grant clemency to aging folks in prison. Use the hashtags #ClemencyisCompassion, #LetThemGo and #NoMoreDeaths, and tag @forefrontbk.

Forefront relies solely on your generosity. In the midst of this unique crisis, we ask that you give generously to Forefront.  Please click here to financially support our operating costs and Covid-19 related programs.