National & Local Organizations for Social Action & Justice

Orgs. to Combat Homelessness. (Local)

Plymouth Taskforce to End Homelessness: http://plymouth-taskforce-homeless.org/PTH/  is dedicated to ending homelessness in the Plymouth (MA) area. Our primary areas of focus are finding permanent housing with supportive services and providing emergency sheltering during the winter months. We work with individuals, local businesses, government agencies, and community organizations to meet the needs of our homeless folk.

Plymouth Area Coalition For the Homeless: https://www.plymouthareacoalition.org is guided by a dedication to social justice and compassion, strives to nurture and empower families and individuals seeking basic needs assistance by providing them the shelter, food, and educational resources necessary to reach their potential and independence.

Father Bill’s & MainSpring (Brockton): https://helpfbms.org For more than three decades, Father Bill’s & MainSpring (FBMS), a registered 501(c)3 charitable organization, has been a leading innovator of ending homelessness. Our mission is to end and prevent homelessness in Southern Massachusetts with programs that provide emergency and permanent housing and help people obtain skills, jobs, housing, and services. We help people who are struggling with homelessness, or are at risk of homelessness, to achieve self-sufficiency.

__________________________________________________

 Climate Action Orgs. (Local)

Mass Climate Action Network (MCAN):  https://www.massclimateaction.org – a 501(c)3 non-profit, fights the climate crisis one town at a time, with the help of local MCAN chapters (Falmouth, Provincetown) – and you!

 350 Mass:  https://350mass.betterfutureproject.org is building a powerful statewide social movement to confront the climate crisis, hold our politicians accountable and undermine the destructive influence of the fossil fuel industry. Our name comes from 350 parts per million, the safe level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.  350 Mass is made up of several local volunteer led chapters/nodes (Taunton, Hingham, Barnstable.)

350 Mass was created by Better Future Project – a 501(c)(3) non­profit organization that works to build the climate justice movement in Massachusetts and beyond.

Citizens’ Climate Lobby South Shore:   https://citizensclimatelobby.org/chapters/MA_South_Shore is focused on a specific piece of legislation and a proven strategy to gain its passage. We are working for the passage of Carbon Fee and Dividend, the climate change solution economists and climate scientists alike say is the “best first-step” to preventing the worst impacts of a warming world.

Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter:  https://www.sierraclub.org/massachusetts is the most enduring and influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. We amplify the power of our 3.5+ million members and supporters to defend everyone’s right to a healthy world.

__________________________________________________

Climate Action Groups (National)

Unitarian Universalist Ministry for Earth:   https://www.uumfe.org  – Empowering bold, accountable, faith-grounded action for environmental justice, and to inspire, facilitate, and support personal, congregational, and denominational practices that honor and sustain the Earth and all beings.

350.org:  https://350.org is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization and was founded in 2008 by a group of university friends in the United States along with author Bill McKibben, who wrote one of the first books on global warming

Citizens’ Climate Lobby:  https://citizensclimatelobby.org is a non-profit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy organization focused on national policies to address climate change.

Greenpeace:    https://www.greenpeace.org is a global, independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful protest and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future. 

__________________________________________________

Gun Legislation Groups and Community Organizations

Giffords – Courage to Fight Gun Violence:  https://giffords.org.  Founded by former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and NASA Astronaut and Navy Captain Mark Kelly, Giffords works to tackle America’s gun violence crisis. A safer America is possible—one where our children can grow up without fear of gun violence—and that is why we’re in this fight. At Giffords, we work to: Shift Culture, Change Policy, and Challenge Injustice.

Change the Ref:  https://changetheref.org  To empower our next generation so they can fight for their values, have their voices heard, and impact change for their future.  Our mission is to raise awareness about mass shootings through strategic interventions that will reduce the influence of the NRA on the Federal level.

Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America: https://momsdemandaction.org founded in 2012 and has grown into a national organization, with chapters in all 50 states; they have successfully effected change at the local, state and national levels. In 2013, they partnered with Mayors against Illegal Guns to unite a nationwide movement.

Stop Handgun Violence: http://www.stophandgunviolence.org MA legislation advocacy group tracks all legislation to stop gun violence and publish their findings on their website and daily blogs.  SHV was the lead advocate for the MA Gun Control Act of 1998.

MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence: https://www.mapreventgunviolence.org started in 2013, is an umbrella organization which brings together organizations across MA to address the epidemic of gun violence through education, advocacy, and holding those in power accountable.

Cape Cod Grandmothers against Gun Violence: http://www.capecodgag.org a non-profit organization, created in 2013. They strive “to influence public policy to create an America where our children and grandchildren are safe at home, at school, and in our communities.”

Everytown for Gun Safety:  http://everytown.org brings together survivors of gun violence to advocate for laws that will prevent future tragedies.

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence:  bradycampaign.org develops extensive public health and safety programs and uses all legal entities including the courts to reduce gun violence. Through the Legal Action Project, they represent victims of gun violence.

Coalition to Stop Gun Violence: csgv.org CSGV is a thought leader in the modern gun violence prevention movement. Implementing evidence-based legislation is the number one priority.

Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence: lawcenter.giffords.org the nation’s leading policy organization dedicated to researching, writing, enacting, and defending proven laws and programs, to save lives from gun violenceThe Gifford PAC is the political action committee that works to support elected officials who step up to fight the gun violence epidemic.

States United to Prevent Gun Violence: https://ceasefireusa.org a grassroots network of 32 state affiliates working to make our communities and families safer. As part of their 50 State Solution to end gun violence, they support existing state-based gun violence prevention groups and bring new partners into the movement.

Sandy Hook Promise: https://sandyhookpromise.org is a national organization founded and led by family members whose loved ones were shot and killed at Sandy Hook in Newtown, CT. Their mission is to prevent gun-related deaths due to crime, suicide, and accidental discharge so that no other parent experiences the senseless, horrific loss of their child.

Newtown Action Alliance: https://www.newtownactionalliance.org, a Newtown, CT-based national grassroots organization formed after the Sandy Hook tragedy. Their mission is to achieve the steady and continuous reduction of gunviolence through legislative and cultural changes.

One Pulse for America: https://www.onepulseforamerica.com, an organization formed after the One Pulse Nightclub Shooting in Florida, uses social media to bring strategic pressure on legislators and decision-makers by amplifying support for gun violence prevention efforts.

Black & Brown Gun Violence Prevention Consortium (BBGVPC): https://www.blackbrowngvp.com works to scale strategies that reduce urban gun violence in high-risk communities across the U.S. The BBGVPC is training youth impacted by gun violence on successful gun violence reduction strategies in an effort to create an intergenerational pipeline of expertise and leadership. 

Live Free: http://www.livefreeusa.org/endgunviolence/  Using the program known as Ceasefire, Live Free works with clergy, young people, police and criminal justice officials in cities to reduce gun violence, saving young African-American and Latino men’s lives, as well as reducing recidivism in these communities.

Operation Lipstick: https://www.operationlipstick.org is an urban movement of women helping women from being used to provide the guns that end up in the wrong hands. The organization disrupts gun trafficking pipelines by providing education, peer support and confidence to women to say, “We refuse to be used to take a life.”

__________________________________________________

Supporting Survivors of and Advocating Against Domestic Violence

South Shore Women’s Resource Center: http://www.thesswrc.org  The mission of the South Shore Women’s Resource Center is to seek the end of abuse and violence against women, children, and families. We work to further a community culture that provides safety and support to those affected by domestic violence and to advocate for social change through activism, education, and leadership in our community. 

American Bar Association Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence: www.americanbar.org seeks to address domestic and sexual violence legally. Works for justice for survivors of sexual assault, by engaging the support of members of the legal profession.

Battered Women’s Justice Project: www.bwjp.org offers training, technical assistance, and consultation to members of the criminal and civil justice systems. The Project advocates for policing, prosecuting, sentencing, and monitoring of perpetrators of domestic violence.

Child Welfare League of America: www.cwla.org is comprised of a coalition of hundreds of private and public agencies serving at-risk children and families.

Equality Now: www.equalitynow.org Works with grassroots organizations and activists, to protect and promote the human rights of women and girls all over the world by documenting violence and discrimination against women and mobilizing efforts to stop these abuses.

Futures Without Violence: www.futureswithoutviolence.org aims to advance the health, stability, education, and security of women, men, girls, and boys worldwide. They played a major role in developing the Violence Against Women Act (passed by Congress in 1994).

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence: www.incite-national.org INCITE! is a “national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence against women of color and our communities.”

Jewish Women International: www.jwi.org seeks to empower women through economic literacy, community trainings, and education about healthy relationships. The organization aims to end violence against women by advocating for policies focused on violence prevention. 

National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence: www.ncdsv.org A national training organization, NCDSV works to influence national policy and provides customized training and consultation to professionals working in fields that might influence domestic violence.

National Network to End Domestic Violence: www.nnedv.org an advocacy organization made up of state domestic violence coalitions and allied organizations and individuals.

No More: www.nomore.org NO MORE is dedicated to ending domestic violence and sexual assault by increasing awareness, inspiring action and fueling culture change.

__________________________________________________

Mental Health and Gun Violence

The American Psychological Association (APA) Gun Violence Prevention  www.apa.org is carried out via three initiatives: Violence Prevention Office investigates scientific evidence to reduce gun violence; and APA to Prevent Gun Violence involves communications with the White House and other organizations.

Massachusetts Association for Mental Health, Inc: www.mamh.org is an independent, non-profit organization and a leading advocate for the creation and funding of community based housing, education, health care, employment and treatment for children, adolescents, adults and seniors with mental illnesses or emotional disorders.

Massachusetts Association for Behavioral Health: www.abhmass.org the leading advocacy organization in Massachusetts’ mental health and addiction services arena. Massachusetts/National Alliance on Mental Illness: www.namimass.org The mission of NAMI MA is to improve the quality of life for people with mental illnesses and their families.

__________________________________________________

Organizations Against Bullying

Born This Way Foundation: www.bornthisway.foundation Fans of Lady Gaga know the singer is extremely passionate about her organization, Born This Way Foundation. You’ll find an online community that encourages individuality and provides skills for confidence and power. 

Kind Campaign: www.kindcampaign.org started by college students affected by bullying from other girls. Created documentary and non-profit to stop what they call “girl on girl crime.”

Stomp Out Bullying: www.stompoutbullying.org is the organization that started Blue Shirt Day to help raise bullying awareness. Celebs such as Chloe Grace Moretz and Abigail Breslin have made videos supporting the project.

The Jed Foundation: www.jedfoundation.org Jed Foundation, MTV, and actress Brittany Snow started the Love Is Louder organization to spread the word that love is louder than any internal or external voice telling you otherwise.

PACER: www.pacer.org/bullying Founded in 2006, PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center actively leads social change, so that bullying is no longer considered an accepted childhood rite of passage. PACER provides resources for students, parents, educators, and others, and recognizes bullying as a serious community issue.  

__________________________________________________

Organizations to Stop Hate Groups 

Plymouth No Place For Hate: http://www.plymouthnoplaceforhate.org/ Our primary goal is to be a resource to the Town of Plymouth by providing support and education on diversity issues. We are citizen volunteers appointed by the Plymouth Board of Selectmen to serve on the Town of Plymouth’s No Place For Hate Committee. We help Plymouth address issues of racism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, ethnic, and religious bigotry, and other forms of prejudice. We seek to celebrate our differences and react to incidents that may threaten or isolate individuals or groups based solely on visible or invisible differences. We will protect the promise of equal justice and civil rights for all members of our society.

Anti-Defamation League: www.adi.org was founded in 1913 on Jewish values including stopping anti-Semitism and defending the Jewish people. Today, it also means fighting threats to our democracy, including cyber-hate, bullying, bias in schools and in the criminal justice system. Hate Watch: (@Hatewatch)|Twitter Exposing hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States since 1981.

Southern Poverty Law Center: www.splcenter.org The SPLC is dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society. Using litigation, education, and other forms of advocacy, the SPLC works toward the day when the ideals of equal justice and equal opportunity will be a reality.

Council on American-Islamic Relations: www.cair.com CAIR’s mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding. 

__________________________________________________

Social Justice Organizations

UU Mass Action Network:  https://www.uumassaction.org  Since 2006 UU Mass Action has been organizing and mobilizing the 20,000 Unitarian Universalist an 142 congregations around social justice issues in Massachusetts.  Our pathways to justice are selected through: polling congregations, listening to community partners, assessing current legislative activity and evaluating who is most vulnerable in the communities of our state.  For more details about this process.

Alliance for Justice: www.afj.org works to ensure that the federal judiciary advances core constitutional values, preserves human rights and unfettered access to the courts, and adheres to the even-handed administration of justice for all Americans.

Showing up for Racial Justice: www.showingupforracialjustice.org believes in collective liberation — and that none of us can be free until we end white supremacy.

National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP):  www.naacp.org works to promote the civil rights of people of color and to eliminate race-based discrimination.

Center for Law and Social Policy: www.clasp.org a national, nonpartisan, anti-poverty nonprofit advances policies for low-income people via strategies for reducing poverty, promoting economic opportunity, and addressing barriers faced by people of color.

Coalition for Social Justice: www.coalitionforsocialjustice.org is dedicated to building a grassroots movement for progressive social change in communities that have been excluded from today’s economic benefits. They recruit and develop leadership, especially from low income communities, and build effective campaigns that address the economic survival issues.

Indivisible:  https://indivisible.org    is a movement of thousands of group leaders and more than a million members taking regular, iterative, and increasingly complex actions to resist the GOPs agenda, elect local champions, and fight for progressive policies.  

__________________________________________________

Resources for Substance Abuse Treatment Services 

The Massachusetts Substance Abuse Information and Education Helpline www.helpline-online.com The Helpline provides free and confidential information and referral for alcohol and other drug abuse problems; it is staffed 7 days a week. This service helps people of all ages, and assistance is available in multiple languages. Phone toll free: 1-800-327-5050 TTY: 1-888-448-8321. Website contains an interactive program that helps you identify services in your area.

The Institute for Health and Recovery www.healthrecovery.org  this service helps families of youth with substance abuse issues access publicly funded residential and other services offered by the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services (BSAS). Phone: 1-866-705-2807

Suboxone (Buprenorphine) Hotline Office Based Opioid Treatment Program (OBOT) at Boston Medical Center Hotline makes referrals and offer information on opiate and heroin treatment available in doctors’ offices statewide. Phone: 1-866-414-6926 or 1-617-414-6926

Substance Use and Mental Health Treatment Locator: https://findtreatment.samhsa.gov/ assists adults and adolescents locate substance abuse treatment options in local communities. Phone numbers include: 1‐800‐662‐HELP (4357); 1‐800‐487‐4899 (TTY)

Recovery Research Institute: www.recoveryanswers.org presents evidence about addiction recovery and how you can achieve it on your own, by engaging with communities that support recovery, or by seeking treatment.

Opioid Overdose Prevention www.mass.gov/Opioid-overdose-prevention.  Overdose prevention and naloxone/narcan access.

Addiction Treatment www.addiction-treatment.com   Massachusetts has many choices to help individuals recover from opiate addiction. . The database, which features the largest online collection of detoxification, rehabilitation and extended care programs, shows 132 in MA.

Opiate Drug Detox Treatment Centers in Massachusetts www.psychologytoay.com/us/treatment-rehab/opiate-drug…/masachusetts This website offer comprehensive list of treatment options organized by types of addiction; age cohorts; types, names and locations of treatment programs.

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-SAMHSA www.findtreatment.samhsa.gov A national resource provided by the Federal government, this website allows users to locate specific addiction treatment and other resources within each state, and, within local communities for each state.

__________________________________________________

Prison Justice Reform

6th Amendment Center​  http://sixthamendment.org  ​ seeks to ensure that no person faces potential time in jail or prison without first having the aid of a lawyer with the time, ability and resources to present an effective defense, as required under the United States Constitution. They do so by measuring public defense systems against established standards of justice. When shortcomings are identified, they help states and counties make their courts fair again in ways that promote public safety and fiscal responsibility.

Criminal Justice Policy Coalition  (MA)  https://www.cjpc.org     is a member-based, non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of effective, just, and humane criminal justice policy in Massachusetts. We hold occasional networking meetings on a variety of criminal justice issues, sponsor public forums and conferences, organize legislative action, and provide support and coordination to groups engaged in advocacy.

American Friends Service Committee  https://www.afsc.org   (AFSC) is a Quaker organization that promotes lasting peace with justice, as a practical expression of faith in action. AFSC’s criminal justice program in Maine and Pennsylvania, part of their northeast regional office, also works to end mass incarceration, improve conditions for people who are in prison, stop prison privatization, and promote a reconciliation and healing approach to criminal justice issues.

Citizens for Juvenile Justice (MA)    https://www.cfjj.org  ​  (CfJJ) is the only independent, non-profit, statewide organization working exclusively to improve the juvenile justice system in Massachusetts. They advocate, convene, conduct research, and educate the public on important juvenile justice issues. They believe that both children in the system and public safety are best served by a fair and effective system that recognizes the ways children are different from adults and focuses primarily on their rehabilitation.

End Mass Incarceration Together (EMIT)  https://endmassincarcerationtogether   is a statewide working group of the Unitarian Universalist Mass Action Network.  EMIT partners with people to encourage and facilitate face-to-face meetings with state representatives and senators to let them know we are outraged about the over-incarceration of people in America who are more likely to be black, brown, poor, under-educated, mentally ill and have substance abuse problems.

Families for Justice as Healing   http://justiceashealing.org   focuses on raising public awareness about the incarceration of women and the impact on children and communities. Their mission is to reduce the incarceration population of women in the United States by shifting toward community wellness alternatives instead of prisons.

Prison Book Program  https://prisonbookprogram.org   mails books to people in prison to support their educational, vocational and personal development and to help them avoid returning to prison after their release. They also aim to provide a quality volunteer experience that introduces citizens to issues surrounding the American prison system and the role of education in reforming it.