It is time to celebrate another year of exciting victories and developments at Clean Air.  Together, we have accomplished major steps towards a more health and equitable Western New York. Without the investment and work by members, and the belief in the power and possibility of organizing our communities – none of our work in 2016 could have been possible.

We invite you to join us at our Annual Meeting to celebrate these successes and prepare for another year of smart, grassroots organizing. Our membership from across the region will come together to learn from each other, and share successes and challenges over the past year.

Our 2017 member meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, January 31 from 5:30pm – 7:00pm at the United Way of Erie County at 742 Delaware in Buffalo.  Refreshments will be served.

Our annual meeting is open to all, however only dues paying members are eligible to vote on this year’s 2017 board of directors. If you are a member and have not yet received your ballot in the mail, please contact Rebecca at 716-852-3813 to check on the status of your membership.

All board members serve 3 year terms. Board members fulfill the following responsibilities:

• To provide guidance and assistance in implementing the strategic goals and objectives of the organization
• To evaluate the Executive Director
• To participate actively on at least one board committee; events, personnel, finance or sustainability
• To fundraise
• To attend organizational events and membership meetings as able

Our 2017 Board of Director’s slate is as follows:

Sydney Brown is a humble servant of The Most High God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. She is community driven concentrating her efforts on addressing the economic, social and environmental injustices facing the Western New York area with a special emphasis on the East Side of Buffalo. A board member of the Black Chamber of Commerce of Western New York, Sydney is a team player dedicated to improving the economic well fare of her community with a focus on Black enterprises. She is a devoted board member of the Restore Our Community Coalition (ROCC) advocating for the restoration of the Humboldt Parkway. Sydney is also a loyal member of Clean Air: Organizing for Health and Justice. She enthusiastically aided in bringing Participatory Budgeting (PB) to Buffalo for the first time and with implementing the PB process.

Yvonne T. Stephens is an occupational health social worker and Outreach Coordinator for The Center for Occupational & Environmental Medicine at ECMC. A 2009 graduate of the University at Buffalo’s School of Social Work, Yvonne has used her degree to further her interests in community organizing, organizational development, and community birth work. Yvonne is also a therapist and facilitator for the Perinatal Mental Health Program at the Birthing Center of Buffalo. While earning her MBA in 2016 from Medaille, Yvonne began a community organizing coalition called “The 716 Coalition”, which focuses on engaging the community to take action against police brutality and racial disparity in Buffalo. In her free time, Yvonne enjoys spending time with her partner and her two year old son, EJ.

Jennifer Wrobel grew up in Niagara Falls, NY. She graduated from SUNY Geneseo with degrees in Organization & Interpersonal Communication and English Literature, then went on to receive her MBA from Niagara University. Jennifer currently works as a benefits analyst for Synacor, Inc., a publicly-traded technology company. Jennifer also loves to teach dance and spend time with her nephew.

Hometown Cab Company Partners with Clean Air Coalition to Get Voters to Polls

Buffalo, New York: Need help getting to the polls? A partnership between Liberty Cab and local community organizations can help you.  On November 8^th Liberty Cab Company will provide any resident in the City of Buffalo and the Town of Tonawanda a ride to and from their polling place free of charge.

“I think it’s important that everyone gets out to vote,” said Bill Yuhnke,  of Liberty Cab, “don’t let the lack of transportation stop you.”

“We are thrilled that Liberty Cab is giving such a tremendous service to the community and supporting residents in their right to vote.”“Rebecca Newberry, Director of Clean Air, “For people who are under immense family, work or financial pressure, having a convenient ride to the polls can mean the difference between voting and staying at home. Liberty Cab is providing a great community service on election day.”

This partnership formed with the help of the Canisius College Communication and Leadership Graduate program. This program is designed to provide students the resources to refine their communication and leadership skills in the workplace. Jennifer Kilo, Carrie Patterson, and Valerie Petty collaborated with Clean Air Coalition and Liberty Cab as part of a class project to help get out the vote this election year.

Residents can take advantage of this service by calling Liberty Cab at 716-877-7111 and using the code LibertyRide2Vote.  This service is not affiliated with any political party or campaign. 

On Tuesday, November 8^th polls will be open from 6am-9pm. Residents can find their polling place, call the Erie County Board of Elections at 716-858-8891.

We are very excited to announce the long anticipated kick off of Tonawanda Tomorrow! A partnership between Tonawanda residents, community groups, organized labor, local businesses, and government – all working together to grow the Town’s economy for the future.

This effort spun out of the recent closure of the Huntley Coal Plant in Tonawanda. As I’m sure you know, Huntley began the decommissioning process earlier this year, due the fact   NRG couldn’t make a profit off selling Huntley power into the market. Our organization has been diligently working to ensure that workers, the town and school district did not bear the burden of the company’s decision to retire.

One of our proudest moments was our work with the Western New York Area Labor Federation, AFL-CIO and the Kenmore Teachers Association to secure $30 million in the 2016 New York State budget to help support the Town of Tonawanda, the Kenmore Tonawanda School District, and communities across New York State facing power plant closures. The funding will protect the quality of public education locally by replacing revenues lost in the Huntley power plant retirement.  It is one of the first appropriations of its kind in the country. This financial support could not have been possible without hundreds of community members who invested time and energy to make sure Tonawanda was not left behind.

We now have an opportunity to rebuild our economy through the help of the US Economic Development Administration through its POWER Initiative. Numerous local organizations are matching this federal investment with their time, energy and commitment of resources, but we need your help to create a vision for our future.

Join us at the kick-off of  on November 10^th 2016 from 6:30-8:30 at the Phillip Sheridan Building (3200 Elmwood Ave. Buffalo, 14217).

You can also help shape this process by taking our community survey. It takes 5 minutes HERE. 

For more information call our office at 716-852-3813 or visit www.tonawandatomorrow.org

It was a busy summer for Clean Air! Between the many meetings and campaign victories, we also took some time out to learn and build relationships, and make sure we’re building a sustainable movement for public health and environmental justice here in Buffalo. One of the ways we did so is by traveling to the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training’s 6^th Biennial Money for Our Movements Conference in Denver, CO. Sydney Brown, Clean Air member; Emily Terrana, Clean Air member and board member; and two of our staff, Natasha Soto and Rachel Todd attended. We were also proud that Rachel, our development coordinator, was invited to present our signature “Making the Ask 101” workshop at the conference!

Some of the fundraising data from Rachel’s session!

Rachel’s session was focused on providing an introduction to asking individuals for money for folks who are new to fundraising or wanted to demystify the process. The packed room discussed why making the ask is critical to social justice fundraising, learned about common and best practices in 1-on-1 fundraising, and practiced together telling personal stories to make connections with individuals and making the ask to give money for our movements.

Of the conference, our member Sydney said, “I truly enjoyed attending the 6th Biennial GIFT conference in Denver, CO. It was a wonderful experience and there were numerous things that stood out that I anticipate implementing. For starters, fundraising is not a task assigned to a select few or a committee within an organization. It is important for everyone in a nonprofit – all board members and the membership as a whole – to have a fundraising mindset in order to fulfill our mission and to be sustainable and effective in our endeavors. Another key takeaway was to ask for contributions from everyone. It is a disservice to assume that a person cannot afford to give or that a particular group you are advocating for is not in a position to aid in the cause financially. One other thing that stood out was that good “old-fashioned” relationship building through traditional means of a phone call, card or letter in the mail on a consistent basis can sometimes far outweigh modern social media vehicles (which still have a role in the overall fundraising goals of an organization). A personal touch has lasting benefits for the life of a non-profit.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to have participated in the conference. It gave me a fresh lens on how to approach fundraising to advance the growth of Clean Air and generated new ideas to aid our community. It was also a good networking platform to expand collaboration with individuals from across the United States. I hope to attend the GIFT conference in 2018 with reports of success from the next two years.”

Rachel guides social justice fundraisers & organizers from across the country through Making the Ask 101

Emily, who joined Clean Air’s board of directors in January, said, “When I was asked to join the board, my immediate response was ‘Well, you know I don’t have much money or many rich friends, right?’ My understanding was always that boards exist mainly as a fundraising body for the organization and that they were stacked with wealthy folks. How in the world was I, a single mother of two young children working for a non-profit myself, going to raise money and be taken seriously on such an impressive organization’s board of directors?

“To say that asking for money for CAC has been nerve wracking is a major understatement. The idea of selling tickets for events seems like a breeze compared to asking people in my personal and professional networks to donate directly to the organization. As much as I love this organization and believe in its mission, I just couldn’t get over my negative, taboo feelings about money.

“The more time that I have spent with Clean Air, its staff, and other members, the more I have learned that fundraising is not a necessary evil; it’s a tool that can (and should) be used as an organizing opportunity. Clean Air truly puts its money where its mouth is when it comes to fundraising, staying true to its mission to put people over profit and never compromising values for funds.

Our board member, Emily learns how to screenprint at the GIFT Conference!

“When the opportunity to learn more about this unique approach to fundraising at the GIFT Conference came up, I pounced. It was incredible to be in a space with grassroots development folks, organizers, and members of powerful social justice organizations throughout the country who were all dedicated to raising money for our movement in a way that centers our work and centers our desire for justice. I learned that fundraising is more than just writing grants or building relationships with major donors; it’s chicken dinners, house parties, smaller asks to directly affected folks, and even art projects. The GIFT presenters, including Clean Air’s own development coordinator, Rachel Todd, all believed that by raising money from and with the people that we work with that we are respecting their own autonomy and building power with people, not power over them and that to involve members in fundraising drives in an intentional way strengthens not only our organizations, but our movement as a whole. What a powerful thing!

“I am so grateful to have been able to attend the GIFT conference. I am, for once, very excited to host my own screen-printing house parties and start raising more money for our movement!”

In the coming months, staff, board, and members of Clean Air will be working collaboratively to integrate the new fundraising tools gained from the GIFT conference into planning for our future development activities. Stay tuned for news on these cutting-edge fundraising techniques!

A sincere and large thank you is due to all of our folks who contributed financially to making this critical, movement-building trip happen:

• Anonymous
• Anne Gareis
• Barbara Bono
• Bridget Williams
• Carmen Kelly
• Catherine Gresham
• Charlene Homes
• Charles and Janice Ferguson
• Charlotte MacVittie
• Christine Lewis
• Colleen Stiffler
• Darnyl Parker
• Jennifer Yuhnke
• KaeLyn Rich
• Kristi White
• Lisa Moran
• Maria Hadden
• Meghan McCormick
• Nita Soma
• Nora Masters
• Rebecca Newberry
• Rich Cummings
• Richard Cummings
• Sally Heron
• Sherrie Peterson
• Sherry & Harry Moran
• Thomasina R. Stenhouse
• Tracy Todd

To support the pivotal work of Rachel, Natasha, Emily, Sydney, and the rest of our board, staff, and members, please consider making a monthly pledge today to help Clean Air continue to organize for health and justice in Western New York by clicking on the “Donate” tab at the top of the page!

The GIFT crew enjoys some downtime in Denver!

This weekend, the New Economy Coalition is bringing their CommonBound Conference right here to Buffalo, NY. CommonBound will bring together hundreds of leaders and organizations from across North America for an international conference on visionary strategies for achieving deep systemic change. Participants will share insights and stories, build relationships, highlight achievements, and chart a shared path toward a society that puts people and planet first.

We’re proud to say our very own very own community organizers, Natasha Soto and Brian Borncamp, our member Della Miller, and our Executive Director, Rebecca Newberry will be presenting at CommonBound!

Rebecca will be presenting on Clean Air’s work with the Tonawanda community to ensure residents are taken care of and prepared to transition to a bright, sustainable future as the Huntley Coal Plant closes. Highlighting the campaign between Clean Air and organized labor, they will share strategies and success in our fight for a just transition. She’ll be presenting with Peter De Jesús and Richard Lipsitz from the WNY Area Labor Federation and Peter Stuhlmiller of the Kenmore Teachers Association. Clean Air and partners will also be jointly hosting a New Economy Tour of Tonawanda – including a visit to Huntley, a coal fired power plant in the decommissioning process. Transportation is being provided courtesy of NFTA-Metro. If you’re attending the Common Bound conference and would like to attend the tour, register here! Space is limited.

Clean Air staff and members will be presenting in two sessions about Participatory Budgeting (PB) this weekend. For the first, Natasha, Brian, and Della will be presenting with Maria Hadden of the Participatory Budgeting Project, and will focus on teaching participants about PB in the United States and sharing how Buffalo residents gained real power over their money in the recent pilot PB project guided by Clean Air members in the Masten District. Natasha and Maria will also be presenting with Biola Jeje of the American Postal Workers Union in Budgets for Black Lives – this session will focus on how to #FundBlackFutures, explore how integrating demands for PB into campaigns could advance organizing goals, highlight campaigns for economic justice led by Black Youth, and discuss whether PB could be used as a tool to achieve movement goals at the local level.

Can’t make CommonBound but want to find out more about what the conference is all about? First, you can visit this website to find access to a livestream of the conference all weekend. Second, we’ll be posting pictures and quotes from all sessions that Clean Air staff are presenting at, so follow us on Twitter and Facebook!

Want to support Clean Air’s expert staff and our campaigns to bring PB city-wide in Buffalo and a Just Transition to Tonawanda? Click here to donate to Clean Air – consider making a sustainable monthly contribution to keep this groundbreaking work going!

UPDATE: Here’s some pictures from Rebecca, Natasha, Brian, and member Della presenting at CommonBound!

A packed house at River Road Fire Hall, one of the stops on our New Economy Tour of Tonawanda, presented with Cathy Kunkel from IEEFA, Richard Lipsitz from WNY-ALF, Peter Stuhlmiller from Kenmore Teachers Assocation, and Dave Wasiura from USW

Brian, Della, Natasha, and Maria Hadden from PBP before they kick off their Participatory Budgeting session!

Rebecca along with Dick Lipsitz and Pete De Jesus from WNY-ALF and Peter Stuhlmiller from the Kenmore Teachers Association presented on communities facing coal plant closure

Greed, carelessness, and a callous disregard for human life – these words sum up the causes of the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.

This week Clean Air joined the International Campaign for Justice in Bhopal with hundreds of other environmental justice organizations, labor unions and student groups to petition the Department of Justice to follow international law and serve Dow Chemical for criminal charges that have been pending in India for over 25 years.

In 1984, over 8,000 residents of Bhopal, India died within hours of being exposed to a toxic gas that escaped from a nearly, poorly maintain chemical factory. Dow Chemical, and its subsidiary – Union Carbide Corporation are legally responsible for this disaster. Dow – Carbide has refused to show up to court and face these charges.

If we reach 100,000 signatures by June 14th the US Department of Justice is required to respond to the petition. Help get there.

Sign the petition, forward this email to your friends and family, and post it to social media.  (After you sign the petition – you will quickly receive an email from the White House asking you to confirm your signature. Your signature will only be counted after you confirm.) 

Golden Gas Mask Award winners, the Kenmore Teachers Assocation, with Clean Air Executive Director Rebecca Newberry

On Thursday, May 5, over 200 Clean Air members, supporters, and community leaders joined us at the Hotel Lafayette to celebrate another year filled with victories and successes for environmental justice and public health in Western New York. Over 40 local businesses & organizations sponsored, and made the event a huge success. We honored this year’s award winners and were incredibly grateful to have such a large group of dedicated fighters for environmental health and justice in the room.

Babies love Clean Air!

THE UNSUNG HERO AWARD honors a person who has shown a significant commitment to the fight for environmental health and justice in Western New York but whose work might go unnoticed. This individual has demonstrated both humility and an unwavering commitment to the fight for environmental health and justice in the region.

THE GOLDEN GAS MASK AWARD honors a person who has shown dedication and leadership in the fight for environmental health and justice in Western New York. This individual has demonstrated a deep commitment to action on behalf of Western New York residents and has contributed to the development of powerful strategies to improve community health and the environment.

ROSE SICKLER is a retired teacher who became a member of Clean Air in 2011 around the Amigone Crematory campaign. She has dedicated countless hours to the campaign, going to bat for her family and neighbors so that residents can enjoy their backyards without the smell, noise, and soot associated with the running of the crematory. Rose also spends a significant amount of time working on grassroots development projects, split between phone banking, letter writing, hosting events, and representing Clean Air at community events. She is one of the recipients of the 2016 Unsung Hero Award.

The KENMORE TEACHERS ASSOCATION (KTA) is a union of professional educators dedicated to providing high quality public education and a common voice for advancing values for students, members, and community. Democracy, solidarity, and integrity are the hallmarks of the KTA. The KTA’s membership work and live in Kenmore and Tonawanda, and joined with Clean Air and the WNY Area Labor Federation AFL-CIO to plan and organize in case of the anticipated retirement announcement of the Huntley Coal plant in Tonawanda. The Kenmore Teachers Association was a crucial player in securing $30 million in state wide funds to support municipalities and school districts during energy company closures. This means education, jobs of teachers and support staff, roads, garbage pick up and other services will not be impacted by the loss Huntley’s tax revenue after the company retires. The KTA is a recipient of the 2016 Golden Gas Mask Award.

SEAN MULLIGAN is Legislative Aid to Niagara District Councilman and Majority Leader of the Buffalo Common Council, David A. Rivera for the past 5 years. As a member of the Steering Committee he has been instrumental in advocating for Participatory Budgeting (PB) and informing the process on necessary timelines and processes within City Hall that have been pivotal to PB Buffalo’s success. Sean has traveled to Chicago as a member of Clean Air, where certain wards are on their 5th PB cycle, to learn more about their best practices and help shape
Buffalo’s process. He has helped inform strategy, along with Harper Bishop from the office of former Delaware District Councilman Michael LoCurto, which initiated a committee at City Hall that was tasked with researching the feasibility of PB in Buffalo and led to Buffalo’s first ever PB process. If you’re fortunate you can catch Sean wearing Uggs, playing basketball or repeating Drake lyrics to an empty room. Sean is a recipient of the 2016 Golden Gas Mask Award.

BRIAN BORNCAMP came into the Clean Air office after reading an Artvoice article on Participatory Budgeting (PB) in 2013 and uttered words everyone who has ever worked in our organization wants to hear but hardly ever does: “I love what you’re doing and will do anything to make it happen.” Brian is an amazing researcher and has created maps and graphics that have informed our campaigns, such as where the Mayor’s 2014 campaign contributions come from, for example. He understands and advocates for the need to have ordinary individuals running for office and has been active in his work with CPHJ. He has served on the PB Buffalo Steering Committee, a group responsible for writing the “Rules of the Game” used throughout the process during PB Buffalo’s first cycle in addition to advocating that PB be included in the City of Buffalo’s Budget. In addition to fighting for a true democracy that is inclusive and participatory, Brian grows an amazing amount of living things and will swing by the office with honey from his bees and peppers or strawberries from his garden ─ look out for some onions (possibly) this year. Brian is a recipient of the 2016 Unsung Hero Award, and as of this past Monday, has joined the Clean Air staff as a community organizer!

New staff member Brian Borncamp receives Unsung Hero Award from CAC member, James Lopez

Our deepest gratitude to all who attended, sponsored, and supported our Seventh Annual Dinner. If you couldn’t make it but would still like to support the work of Clean Air and our members like Rose, Sean, Brian, and partners like the KTA, just hit the Donate tab up there on the top left – your contribution will go to work right away fighting for a healthier and more just region for all of us.

Seventh Annual Dinner Sponsors

Allen Street Consulting
Austin Air
Buffalo Melting Point
Clean Air Board
Coalition for Economic Justice
Citizen Action
Buffalo Central Labor Council
Comprehensive Rehabilitation Associates
Congressman Brian Higgins
CWA 1117
CWA 1122
CWA 1133
CWA 1168
WNY CWA Council
CWA District 1
Daemen College, Department of Health Care Studies
Foiled Again Salon
Gallagher Printing
Geico
Hip Gypsy
ECDC Chairman Jeremy Zellner
Town of Tonawanda Supervisor Joseph Emminger
Kenmore Teachers Association
Lipsitz & Ponterio
Make Communities
Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz
Mid-City Office Furniture
Queen City Renovations
River Road Fire Company
SAGE Law Firm Group
Sweetness_7
Teamsters Local 264
Senator Timothy Kennedy
University at Buffalo, Department of English
Union Square Rehab & Health
Urbanity Salon
USW 6992
WNY Area Labor Federation
WNY Council for Occupational Safety and Health

On Tuesday, May 3rd, Justice E. Jeannette Ogden granted an injunction preventing the Amigone Crematory from reopening, until the state Department of Environmental Conservation finds that the crematory is in compliance with permit requirements. Residents who packed the court room to hear the proceedings, were encouraged and relieved with this decision.

The crematory plagued families with smells and soot for decades in the Sheridan Gardens neighborhood in Tonawanda. In May of 2012, the Department of Environmental Conservation issued a serious notice of violation of environmental laws. Later that year, The Attorney General’s office issued an Assurance of Discontinuance that required the company to suspend operation due to the concerns of the community.

The company notified state authorities earlier this year with their intent to reopen, despite serious concerns over their operations. “Even after seeing the sworn affidavits from 43 residents, Town of Tonawanda Board members, and a notice of violation from the Department of Environmental Conservation, the Amigone’s refuse to admit there is a problem. It’s as if they’re above the law.” said Carol Fritsch, a resident who lives close to the crematory.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman released the following statement shortly after the court’s decision, “For years, my office has stood steadfastly with the Tonawanda community to protect their right to enjoy clean, fresh air. Today, the court agreed with my office, and required Amigone to obtain a state permit and implement effective pollution controls. This ruling will ensure that the Amigone crematory never again fouls air and disrupts lives in this community, and sends the message that companies whose facilities pollute our neighborhoods will be held accountable.”

Read more on this issue in The Buffalo News or on WKBW News