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An Open Letter to the City of St. John's re: Eviction of Ms. Shirley Cox October 31, 2022 An open letter to the City of St. John’s: We are writing to express our grave concern and to protest the City of St. John’s decision to evict Ms. Shirley Cox from Riverhead Towers on October 31, 2022 . Ms. Cox, an 82-year-old woman who uses a wheelchair, has no other wheelchair-accessible and affordable housing options available to her . BACKGROUND: Ms. Cox called CBC Radio in an act of desperation, seeking help with an eviction notice she received from her landlord, the City of St. John’s. The City has not disclosed their reason for eviction to Ms. Cox. She believes it may be because she smokes cigarettes outside the main entrance of Riverhead Towers rather than in a designated smoking area. Ms. Cox cannot use the designated smoking area because the pathway to the area is not wheelchair accessible. CBC journalist Anthony Germaine and NDP MHA Jim Dinn have both visited Ms. Cox in her apartment, and both have publicly stated that Ms. Cox does not smoke in her apartment and that there is no discernible odor of tobacco in her home. MHA Dinn confirms that the designated smoking area would be very difficult for her to reach using her wheelchair. MHA Dinn has sought assistance for her from various community organizations, but with the current housing crisis, coupled with the scarcity of wheelchair-accessible affordable housing, finding an alternative home for her is unlikely. Ms. Cox has expressed that she will not be forced into a care home, which is her right as a competent, independent adult. She has also said that she likes living in Riverhead Towers as she has formed friendships there and that moving would isolate her from her community . She has also stated that she would be safer on the street than in a shelter, a fact that was verified by the Executive Director of “Solutions for Seniors,” an organization that the City recommended as a resource. Ms. Cox faces elevated risk of exploitation and physical or mental violence because of her disability, gender, and advanced age . Research suggests that women who are disabled experience various forms of abuse and violence at a rate of 50% to 100% higher than average. (Source: https://www.dawncanada.net/issues/women-with-disabilities-and-violence/ ) STATEMENT FROM THE CITY On Oct. 27th, in response to a request for information from Anthony Germaine (CBC), Councilor Ravencroft released the following statement on behalf of the City. “Regardless of circumstance, issuing an eviction notice is the most difficult decision with which staff in the housing division are faced. It is always our last resort, and it is not executed without proper consideration and due notice.” OUR RESPONSE “Regardless of circumstance…” Given the well-documented forms of discrimination that marginalize, exploit, and exclude Persons with Disabilities, women, people of advanced age, and people who live in poverty scrupulous regard must be applied to circumstances of Ms. Cox . She faces marginalization at many intersections (disability, gender, age, and socio-economic status) and each of these factors exacerbates the risk of harm she is facing . Careful regard must be given to these circumstances by the city when making decisions that impact her access to the basic need of housing. “It (eviction) is always our last resort.” We propose the following two alternatives to eviction : As a disability-inclusive landlord, the city can opt to address and correct the accessibility barrier that makes it impossible for her to access the smoking area to which all other non-disabled tenants have access. As a disability-inclusive landlord, the city can opt to work with Ms. Cox to identify an accessible alternative area where she can smoke with the same ease as can non-disabled tenants. Have either of these alternatives been attempted? “It (eviction) is not executed without proper consideration.” Given the absence of disability-informed, poverty-informed, and trauma-informed decision-making processes , it is our position that “proper consideration” has not taken place. CONCLUSION We believe that evicting Ms. Cox from her home is an extreme and unnecessary measure . Evicting Ms. Cox exposes her to grave risk of harm given her disability, age, gender, and socio-economic status , coupled with the lack of affordable and accessible housing available . The city’s refusal to disclose the reason for her eviction , further raises concern. If it is related to her smoking, the city has a duty to accommodate her by making the route to the designated smoking area accessible. We urge the City of St. John’s to re-consider evicting Ms. Cox from her home . This decision is generating discomfort and fear for Ms. Cox and among other vulnerable residents in our community who are worried about her well-being and about the precedent this sets. To those reading who share our concern , we ask that you email the city to voice your support for Ms. Cox and ask that they do not proceed with her eviction . You can reach all councilors by emailing council@stjohns.ca . Sincerely, Disability Justice Working Group The Social Justice Co-op of NL Email St. John's City Council

Acerca de Prison Pen Pal Project We are a group of volunteers building friendships through letter writing with community members experiencing incarceration in provincial penitentiaries in NL. Want to volunteer? Get in touch using the form at the bottom of the webpage or write to the address below. If you know someone experiencing incarceration who might like a pen pal, please let them know they can write to the address below to be matched with a pen pal. the pen pals c/o SJCNL PO box 7283 St. John's, NL A1E 3Y5 FAQ join the pen pals Send us a message, answering the questions above, to be matched with a pen pal. First Name Last Name Email Thanks for submitting! Message Send

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Three Promises: Palestinian Film Screening Dec 17, 2023 banner photo by William Ping/CBC Please Note the Change of Date! This event has been moved to Sunday, December 17 due to Palestine rallies happening 2pm every Saturday at Harbourside Park until there's a ceasefire Date: Sunday December 17, 2023 Time: 3 - 6pm NT Location: Memorial University, ED 1020 Please wear a mask to help protect each other! Synopsis: While the Israeli army retaliates against the Second Intifada in the West Bank in the early 2000s, a mother films her family's daily life, punctuated by time spent shielding her family from harm in the basement. Now, her son revisits this past, delivering a heart-breaking portrait of the anguish of parents who are forced to choose between their children’s physical safety and the emotional upheaval of leaving home." Previous Next

Poverty Elimination: Programs Poverty Elimination Action Team Working towards a world without poverty The Poverty Elimination Action Team aims to improve the well-being of all people living in Newfoundland and Labrador. Email Us Poverty Elimination: Welcome SJC responds to City's no fault eviction of Shirley Cox Call For Equitable Pandemic Response Read Our Open Letter To Government Here Poverty Elimination: Image 2SLGBTQ+ Neighbouring Pod This group was created by Trans, Two spirit and Queer people to help out during the pandemic and beyond. We will share and connect people to resources, bring people essentials and host online workshops and social events. We have fundraised a small Community Aid Fund for folks needing essentials hampers, so please reach out if you're looking for support. Love and solidarity! If you'd like to support the Community Aid Fund you can do so, here: donorbox.org/caf2020 Please read the rules and contact our email if you need help or have questions: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com Join Our FB Group Email Us Basic Income Basic income is an opportunity to rebalance our province’s social and economic models, which leave thousands of people behind. Nobody in Newfoundland and Labrador should be forced to choose between vital medical care, heating their home, or having enough food to eat. There are many complex issues that Newfoundlanders and Labradorians face, and a basic income is not a solution for all of them - but largely eliminating poverty in this province would certainly be a good start. That is what a basic income would do. Read the recently launched policy paper on Basic Income by Basic Income NL. Learn more. Share your story. Become a signatory. Read the Policy Paper Email Us Poverty Elimination: About Us Partnerships Coalition Canada Basic Income Coalition Canada Basic Income is a cross-country alliance of basic income advocacy groups and networks. We are advancing the development of a national movement for basic income in Canada, building alliances and collaborating with advocacy groups, networks and individuals supporting a just recovery in Canada from the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn More $15 and Fairness NL Do you support the motion to raise the minimum wage to a living wage for all workers in our province? If so, please join $15 and Fairness NL + and urge the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador to legislate a $15 per hour minimum wage. We believe that a $15 minimum wage would be a good first step in improving health outcomes in this province. It is abundantly clear that there is a direct relationship between income, food insecurity, and health. Income is the leading social determinant of health and, as such, a living wage would provide significant health benefits to the 48,900 workers in Newfoundland and Labrador who earn $15 and hour or less. Email Us Poverty Elimination: What We Do News & Views Poverty Elimination: News Household Food Insecurity in Canada 2021: Report November 2022 Following the inclusion of food insecurity as an indicator for Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy in 2018, the Canadian Income Survey (CIS) began the annual monitoring of household food insecurity. Drawing on data from the CIS, this report presents a portrait of household food insecurity in Canada in 2021, examining who is most affected and how food insecurity rates differ across the country. The report also uses CIS data to examine food insecurity rates in 2019 and 2020, providing a look at food insecurity before and after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The report linked below is designed to provide a tool to describe the problem of food insecurity in Canada, monitor trends, and identify priorities for interventions to address this major public health issue. It builds on the extensive work of Health Canada and Statistics Canada in measuring and monitoring household food insecurity. Get the report NL CERB Clawbacks Push People into Poverty: Advocates July 3, 2020 In Newfoundland and Labrador, social assistance = $11,800/year. This is a poverty wage. If CERB is good enough for Canadians, it should be good enough for those on social assistance as well. Learn more The Stink of Poverty July 7, 2020 A beautiful and moving short story by our Co-Chair, Mark Nichols. Thank you for sharing this heart-wrenching yet powerful piece on poverty. Learn more Past Events Poverty Elimination: Past Events Is Our Healthcare on the Chopping Block? The Poverty Elimination Action Team organized an online chat about Health Accord NL on March 25, 2021. The Health Accord presents us with an opportunity to provide the provincial government feedback on our medical and health care systems. We talked about ways to engage and discussed the contracting of a private company (Change Healthcare), by our provincial government, to reduce our health care costs. We brought together participants to discuss through concerns about this approach, and ways to challenge austerity. Learn More Poverty Elimination: Pro Gallery PEAT TV Play Video Search videos Search video... All Categories All Categories Nonprofits & Activism People & Blogs The Cost of Poverty in the Atlantic Provinces, Report Release Play Video Green New Drinks on a Living Wage Play Video Poverty Elimination: Videos

Free Palestine Rallies Jan 11, 2024 UPDATE: There are Rallies organized every Saturday by Palestine Solidarity - Newfoundland & Labrador to show solidarity with Palestinians and resist and condem the genocide the Israeli state is committing. Every Saturday at 2pm NT at Harbourside Park in St. John's Please come show your support and help spread the word. You can sign up for the Palestine Solidarity NL Listserv here: https://palestineactionyyt.beehiiv.com/subscribe This will be important for updates on how weather conditions are impacting rally plans. If you can't make it out, or if the weather keeps us from gathering, here's an action the Palestine Solidarity NL invites you to do from home: Birds of Gaza: Get creative and design your own bird in memory of a child martyred SATURDAY: ALL OUT FOR GAZA Organized by Palestine Solidarity - Newfoundland & Labrador Join in solidarity with the Health Workers of Gaza Date: Saturday December 16 Time: 2 PM (NT) Location: Harbourside Park, St. John's Return every Saturday until there is a ceasefire! Same time same place! SUNDAY AFTERNOON: SCREENING OF "THREE PROMISES" BY YOUSEF SROUJI Date: Sunday December 17, 2023 Time: 3 - 6pm NT Location: Memorial University Education Building, ED 1020 "While the Israeli army retaliates against the Second Intifada in the West Bank in the early 2000s, a mother films her family's daily life, punctuated by time spent shielding her family from harm in the basement. Now, her son revisits this past, delivering a heart-breaking portrait of the anguish of parents who are forced to choose between their children’s physical safety and the emotional upheaval of leaving home." Please wear a mask to this event to help protect each other SUNDAY EVENING: FUNDRAISER DINNER FOR GAZA Organized by Palestine Solidarity Action NL Experience Palestinian Culture & Performances Date: Sunday Dec 17 Time: 6 - 8 pm Location: Benevolent Irish Society, 30 Harvey Road, St. Johns $50 per ticket. Seating is limited. Reserve your ticket by emailing and please note any dietary restrictions. email: palestineactionyyt@gmail.com All proceeds benefit Islamic Relief Previous Next

Anti-Capitalist x Activist Book Club Reading is Revolutionary! Join our bi-weekly book club and explore leading and classic theorists, practitioners, and visionaries through critical, communist, anarchist, and Indigenous lenses. ---------------- Every two weeks we read 20-50 pages or listen/watch 30-60 minutes of content. Meetings take place online on weekdays. Monthly schedules are determined collectively but generally run from 7:30 to 8:30pm NT/ 7:00 to 8:00pm AT. Upcoming Books Join AxA Book Club! First Name Last Name Email Submit Thanks for submitting! We'll be in touch Upcoming Books This Nonviolent Stuff’ll Get You Killed: How Guns Made the Civil Rights Movement Possible by Charles E. Cobb Jr. Past Readings/Content The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin The Ones Who Stay and Fight by N.K. Jemisin Autobiography of Malcolm X as told by Alex Hanley Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall Rosenberg How To Blow Up A Pipeline by Andreas Malm Let This Radicalize You by Kelly Hayes and Mariame Kaba Expect Resistance: A Field Manuel by Crimethinc How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paolo Freire. Wretched of the earth by Frantz Fanon The Red Deal by The Red Nation Mutual Aid - Dean Spade (2x) Out of the Sun: On Race and Storytelling - Esi Edugyan Class Power On Zero Hours - AngryWorkers Warrior Life: Indigenous Resistance and Resurgence - Pam Palmatar Massey Lectures - Thomas King Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media - National Film Board Revolutionary Rehearsals in a Neoliberal Age - edited by Colin Barker, Gareth Dale, and Neil Davidson Can’t Pay, Won’t Pay - The Debt Collective This Bridge Called My Back: Writings by Radical Women of Color - edited by Gloria Anzaldúa and Cherríe Moraga Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good - Adrienne Marie Brown Policing Black Lives - Robyn Maynard The Land Back Issue - Briarpatch We Do This Til We Free Us - Mariame Kaba Border and Rule - Harsha Walia Study and Struggle Curriculum Fall 2020 , including full or partial readings of Are Prisons Obsolete - Angela Davis Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paolo Freire Freedom Dreams - Robin D.G. Kelley We Are Our Own Liberators: Selected Prison Writings - Jalil Mutaquim Geographies of Racial Capitalism - Ruth Wilson Gilmore Combahee River Collective Statement Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice, - Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha City of Inmates - Kelly Lytle Hernández Undoing Border Imperialism - Harsha Walia Freedom Is a Constant Struggle - Angela Davis Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward’s Gun Club - Megan Gail Coles As We Have Always Done - Leanne Betasamosake Simpso Caliban and the Witch - Sylvia Federici Radicalized - Cory Doctorow Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat - J. Sakai. Struggle Within : Prisons, Political Prisoners, and Mass Movements in the United States - Dan Berger Capitalist Realism - Mark Fisher Utopia for Realists: The Case for a Universal Basic Income, Open Borders, and a 15-hour Workweek - Rutger Bregman The State and Revolution - Vladimir Lenin Planet of Slums - Mike Davis Women, Race, and Class - Angela Davis

Running Down the Walls Fundraiser Oct 15, 2023 Wow remember when we had leaves on the trees? So nice!! These are some pictures from the Running Down The Wall event that we held in October 4, 2023. We wanted to share the good news that we were able to raise $348 from this event for prisoner justice projects! We sent $298 to the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (ABCF) Warchest Program that supports political prisoners and prisoners of war in the US. You can find more about their work here: https://www.abcf.net/warchest-program/ We also raised $50 for our own NL-Based Prison Pen Pal Project to provide stamps and letters to volunteers and incarcerated people. You can learn more about that work here: https://www.sjcnl.ca/pen-pals Gratitude and solidarity to all that took part! Hopefully with your support we can make this an annual event! Let us know if you'd like to join the organizing team for next year's event :) Email SocialJusticeCoopNL@gmail.com Running Down the Walls is an annual event held in cities across the US and Canada every year in September or October. It is a non-competitive 5k run/jog/walk/strut/roll that is used to raise awareness and funds for prisoners, especially political prisoners, across the continent. It involves people running simultaneously in many cities and in many prisons at once. Running together is actually a big component of Running Down the Walls. The solidarity shown across cities illustrates, through several small collective actions, that we have not forgotten those locked up inside. Runs inside of prisons happen to both help politicise other prisoners and to illustrate that our acts of solidarity outside have been heard. Previous Next

Join the Social Justice Co-operative Join: Welcome INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP ORGANIZATIONAL MEMBERSHIP SJC BY-LAWS Co-operative Values & Principles Co-operatives are based on the values of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity. In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others. The co-operative principles are guidelines by which co-operatives put their values into practice. Join: What We Do 1. Voluntary and Open Membership Co-operatives are voluntary organisations, open to all persons able to use their services and willing to accept the responsibilities of membership, without gender, social, racial, political or religious discrimination.

RSVP HERE Saturday, October 18, 2025 / 10:30am - 2:30pm NT In Person: St. Mark's Anglican Church, 203 Logy Bay Rd, St. John's, NL This location is Wheelchair Accessible and scent free. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. For our purposes the bathrooms will be all-gender. Online: Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87858446978 Meeting ID: 878 5844 6978 --- One tap mobile +17806660144,,87858446978# Canada +12042727920,,87858446978# Canada Join instructions: https://us06web.zoom.us/meetings/87858446978/invitations?signature=-e1Kdh7R61-9kJYt_GB3e0DG4huJDerr1K5KsWrJcVY Please RSVP here: https://forms.gle/zFPokV3uJTprB1yJ8 Attend Our AGM! RSVP HERE Wanna Help Out? We would LOVE to have a hand with: -Making food ($ provided!) -Meeting Facilitation and Note-taking! -Planning the evening social event Please reach out if you'd like to help out - socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com MEMBERSHIP You must be a member to vote at our AGM! If you are not a member of the SJC but would like to join, please sign up here https://www.sjcnl.ca/join or send us an email at socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com Please email us at socialjusticecoopnl@gmail.com if you have any questions or concerns. RSVP HERE

Expectations of Directors of the Board of the Social Justice Co-operative The Board of Directors of the Social Justice Co-operative is a 9-person board responsible for ensuring the fiscal, legal, political, operational and administrative health of the organization. The focus of the board role is on building the capacity of the co-operative to sustain the operations of action teams, working groups, and other campaigns. While board members are not required to lead or participate in action teams, working groups, or other campaigns; occasional appearances at meetings of these groups are always welcome. The SJCNL board is a working board . This means that our board members work as unpaid staff for the nonprofit co-op since we do not yet have the financial resources to hire professional staff in most day-to-day positions. However, the SJCNL board is also a governing board , one that provides the leadership for the co-operative, consults with members and volunteers to shape strategic direction and co-operative policies, as well as provides financial oversight and ensures adequate resources for expenditures. Key responsibilities that our board fills on a monthly basis: - taking a leadership role in equity initiatives - keeping up to date financial records and maintaining synchronicity with the Co-operatives Act - maintaining the website and social media accounts - managing internal and external communications - reviewing, discussing, and approving new spending decisions or financial commitments - hosting monthly membership meetings - reviewing and approving membership applications - discussing any issues arising from organizing activities that could have legal implications for the co-operative, its board of directors, its staff, its membership, and its volunteers - overseeing the work of the SJC staff and supporting SJC staff in their work - reviewing and discussing proposed partnerships with other organizations - developing policy and other proposals for the consideration of members and volunteers While contributing to these collective responsibilities, there are individual expectations on each board member. Generally, it is expected that each board member: - Participate in a monthly board meeting . This usually requires reading agendas ahead of time, and preparing for any topics to which you will be required to speak - Participate in e-mail conversations on a weekly basis. In between monthly board meetings, the board does conduct some important conversations and decisions over e-mail. Board members can expect to have to reply to such e-mails 2-3 times per week. - Attend a minimum of 4 monthly general membership meetings per annum . These are open to all members, and a key opportunity for members to raise and discuss matters of importance to them. Board participation in these meetings gives board members a full understanding of the issues and realities of our members and volunteers, ensuring board activity is representative and supportive. - Assume at least one ongoing board responsibility . Each board member should take on some responsibility, outside of participation in meetings, in a least one portfolio area. Co-chair positions require extensive board coordination and staff liaising, as well as internal and external portfolios of responsibility, and the organization/facilitation of one co-operative committee (such as the equity team or the activities fund committee). Only the secretary and treasurer roles undertake daily and weekly tasks; as a result, these two roles do not entail organization/facilitation of a co-operative committee. Other portfolios may include: education and training fundraising governance and policy membership recruitment, onboarding, and support communications Altogether, board members can expect the time commitment of all of the above to be at least 16+ hours per month. This is not a hard rule, and rather an estimate to help board members set expectations.

2SLGBTQ+ Mutual Aid Pod This group was created by Trans, Two spirit and Queer people with support of the SJC in 2020 , to organize mutual aid efforts during Snowmaggedon, and beyond. Our Community Aid Fund can be availed of for help with essentials including but not limited to: food, rent, utilities, gender affirming gear, etc. Our ability to help with a request depends on how much is in the fund, which fluctuates. We will do our best to help, but may not always be able to, even though we wish we could, because no one deserves to go without necessities. To request help from the fund, please email us at: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com The 2SLGBTQ+ or "Queer" pod runs a small Community Aid Fund, hosts events online & in person, and connects community members to each other to build solidarity and facilitate mutual aid. You can help make a difference by donating to the Community Aid Fund: If you'd like to support, you can do so, here: donorbox.org/caf2020 Want to get involved in organizing mutual aid efforts with the 2SLGBTQ+ mutual aid pod? We'd love to have you join us. Reach out via our email: 2slgbtqaidnl@gmail.com for more information about getting involved, or to request a link for our next zoom meeting. All welcome! No experience expected :) ADDITIONAL RESOURCES Publicly available community supports including helplines, mental wellness supports, COVID-19 information, and more. Start with 211 Looking for help navigating programs and services? 211 Website 211 is an Information, Assessment, Referral and Follow-Up service that can be the frontline in connecting people in Newfoundland and Labrador with valuable Government and Community-based programs and services, as well as the non-clinical health and social services. 211 can link people to supports for food, income and housing; seniors, people with disabilities, and newcomers; violence and abuse; mental health and addictions, and the list goes on. 211 is now another access point for the Public to find a naloxone distribution site near them! 211 is 24/7, 356 days a year, it can support over 150 languages, it is free and confidential, wait times are minimal, and we do warm transfers to clinical services and programs. All calls are answered by trained and certified professionals who are ready to listen, assess and advocate when needed. The 211 motto is: Help Starts Here. Domestic Violence Helpline If you're in an unsafe home situation or relationship, there is the Domestic Violence Helpline. The province-wide (Newfoundland and Labrador), toll free number is 1-888-709-7090. Call: 1-888-709-7090 Call Domestic Violence Helpline Did you know the Red Cross is offering support to self-isolators? If you don't have a safe place to isolate, or if you are isolating and need help with food or medication, give them a call and they can help you out. Call: 1-800-863-6582 Call Red Cross Domestic Violence Helpline Red Cross Helpline Bridge the gapP Mental Wellness online resources Bridge the gapp is an online resource designed to support mental wellness. You can visit https://bridgethegapp.ca to access age-appropriate programs and services that are available locally, confidential and free. Visit BridgeTheGapp.ca NL Public Health COVID-19 Information Take care of yourselves and one another, while following public health guidelines of course. You can find update guidelines from NL Public Health here: https://www.gov.nl.ca/covid-19 Visit gov.nl.ca/covid-19 GovNL.ca/Covid-19