Name of Host Organization: Urban Justice Center

City, State: New York, New York

Issue area: Community Economic Development/Microfinance and Related Transactional Legal Projects, Immigrant Populations

Sponsor: Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP, FJC, A Foundation of Donor Advised Funds

THE INSPIRATION

Although New York City contains vast amounts of wealth, many families - including those in the Bronx - continue to struggle. In fact, the Bronx has the highest unemployment of any county in the state and one of the poorest congressional districts in the nation. But there is cause for hope since individuals and community-based organizations can create new workforce opportunities. Worker-owned, cooperative enterprises and new immigrant small business ventures are the engines of economic growth.

The Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center formed in September 2001 to provide legal, technical, research and policy assistance to grassroots community groups engaged in a wide range of community development efforts throughout New York City. My project focuses on providing transactional legal services in collaboration with community-based organizations. This will enable immigrant and low-wage workers, especially in the Bronx, to energize economic opportunities through cooperative enterprise and small business development. Learn more about my project on YouTube.