Who we are:

VOCAL-NY (Voices of Community Activists and Leaders) has been organizing across New York since 1999, building power with and for low-income communities most impacted by injustice. Our work centers the voices of people who are too often excluded from decision-making and creates space for community members to lead and drive change.

Many of the people who participate in the VOCAL drop-in center are at heightened risk of overdose, and a large number are also navigating the realities of homelessness or housing instability. VOCAL addresses the overlapping impacts of homelessness, the overdose epidemic, and systemic inequality through a harm reduction, people-first approach. We understand these challenges as the result of institutional oppression not personal failure and believe solutions must be rooted in dignity, care, and community leadership.

Our drop-in center supports people in meeting their basic needs while offering a space of safety and connection. Participants can access food, showers, laundry, places to rest, and harm reduction services, including safe-use supplies and drug checking. Beyond services, the center is a place where people are respected, supported, and loved

What is this channel about?:

This channel highlights the weekly art and writing groups facilitated by Caroline and Julia. These groups are rooted in creativity and personal expression, offering participants space to explore their ideas, emotions, and lived experiences through art and writing. More than workshops, they are places where people can reflect, experiment, and tell their stories in their own voices.

Through these creative mediums, participants are encouraged to explore who they are, how they see the world, and what they want to express without judgment. This channel exists to share that work, celebrate creative expression, and amplify voices that deserve to be seen and heard

A note from your facilitators:

Caroline: (Healthcare Programs Associate)

Facilitating VOCAL’s creative writing group has been one of my greatest joys. Every Thursday, I greet our room the same way: “Hi family, it’s my favorite day of the week!” And it is. Being in a room where we can read, write, share our truths, and self-reflect feels like taking a deep breath. In a time that feels so dark and desperate, it is joyful and even revolutionary to engage in discussion and writing about humanity, pleasure, love, loss, the self, and addiction. It’s a brief and welcome break from the bullshit, or at least it feels that way to me.

I’m guided and inspired by the work of my friend and predecessor, Charlotte Graham a true artist who facilitated VOCAL’s poetry group from 2023 to 2025.

Julia: (Social-work intern)

As a person who loves creating, I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful art and creative spaces can be in helping navigate complex thoughts and emotions. Art has been a constant for me and something that has grounded me and kept me going throughout my life. As Nikki Rowe writes,

 “Art is my cure to all this madness, sadness, and loss of belonging in the world, and through it I’ll walk myself home.”

Since starting at VOCAL, I’ve been deeply inspired by the creativity and stories participants bring into the space. There is so much life, experience, and insight present so much that deserves to be expressed. I’m excited to help create a platform that uplifts this work, honors these voices, and makes room for people to speak their truths loudly, creatively, and on their own terms.

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