For the 2022-2023 AmeriCorps VISTA grant period, the Feerick Center and LawNY proposed a new VISTA project, the AEP Racial Justice and Model Practices (RMJP), which the federal agency granted. This initiative seeks to deepen and enhance the tools, skills, knowledge, and supports of AEP stakeholders to help meet the civil legal services needs of lowincome New Yorkers in ways that reflect and reinforce cultural humility, client- and community-centered legal services approaches, and anti-racist principles. Over the life of the grant, the AEP RJMP will strive to share resources and learning with Emeritus programs nationwide and continue to recruit and place Emeritus volunteers with AEP host organizations throughout the state. Providing culturally-appropriate services that take into account and try to dismantle structural racism is a core principle and mission of many AEP host organizations. It is hoped that, over time, this initiative will promote model diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) practices by AEP stakeholders that leverage Emeritus pro bono resources.
The AEP team recently conducted an RJMP Survey of Host Organizations and Emeritus volunteers. The purpose of these surveys was to ascertain Emeritus Volunteers' interest and experience in diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB), as well as intentional DEIB practices of host organizations. Over the next few months, the AEP plans to use these survey results to begin designing RJMP trainings and working on resources available for use by Emeritus volunteers and AEP host organizations.
If you are experienced in DEIB or Racial Justice Initiatives and are interested in sharing expertise or best practices, please contact downstate AEP Coordinators, Sean Tan or Spencer Wang, at aepcoordinator@fordham.edu. Based on the feedback from the participants at a recent drop-in session where she presented, Montel Cherry, Deputy Director of Diversity and Inclusion at Mobilization for Justice, Inc., has graciously offered to present on DEIB at a Lunch and Learn on October 26th from 12PM - 1PM. Register for the event using this link.
