Our holistic approach to reducing poverty and empowering our communities, enables MRNY to win meaningful, broad-based reforms that New Yorkers can feel every day:

2012 Victories

• Launched a campaign organizing car wash workers with New York Communities for Change and the support of the RWDSU. Workers at four car washes have already voted to form unions in one of NYC 's most exploitative industries.


• Won two major policy changes guaranteeing translation and interpretation: first at all major pharmacy chains and mail order pharmacies statewide, impacting millions of customers; and then at all Suffolk County government agencies.


• Won a state Tenant Protection Unit to enforce tenants' rights and crack down on lawless landlords.


• Youth leaders organized to save the critically-needed Bushwick Community High School, giving hundreds of over-age and undercredited students a second chance at their education.


• Launched an immigration law practice serving thousands with Deferred Action applications and hundreds more with deportation defense, permanent lawful status, and immigrant services fraud prevention. (Check out our Guide for Immigrant Youth at www.respectanddignity.org/dream)


• Mobilized 20,000 new voters on Election Day as part of our new Campaign for Respect & Dignity, after registering 12,000 voters of color in NYC and Long Island and, with the Center for Popular Democracy, an additional 7,000 in Pennsylvania.


• Brought national attention to the harmful impact of the NYPD's stop-and-frisk tactics on transgender New Yorkers and trained 1,600+ youth and LGBTQ community members about their rights when stopped by the police.

Read more about our impact areas:

Expanding Civil Rights | Promoting Health | Improving Housing
Winning Workplace Justice | Improving Public Education | Empowering Youth