FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 27, 2024
Contact: Kia Smith, kia.smith@mothersoutfront.org
Bella Cockerell, bella.cockerell@mothersoutfront.org
Mothers Out Front New York Creates Space for Moms and Caregivers During Climate Week NYC
NEW YORK (September 27, 2024) – Last week, Mothers Out Front New York hosted over 90 mothers, caregivers and others at two events during Climate Week NYC. At these events, mothers, caregivers and others participated in an electric school bus experience, learned how to advocate for electric school buses in their communities and took the time to pause and rejuvenate from the demanding work of advocacy and caregiving.
On Tuesday, September 24, mothers and other caregivers gathered at Greenwich Village for an immersive electric school bus experience, Green Dreams & Electric School Bus Rides: A Family-Friendly Climate Week Celebration. While kids used watercolors to imagine their sustainable future with art, moms and other caregivers discussed the dangerous impact that dirty, diesel buses have on students and learned how they could advocate for electric school buses in their community.
“My son was spending 40 minutes on the bus each day to travel the one-and-a-half miles to his preschool,” said Jennifer Gessner, a member of Mothers Out Front’s Westchester Rivertowns team. “ Forty minutes is a long time for a four-year-old to breathe in dangerous toxins and air pollutants.”
“We know moms and caregivers are the best ESB messengers for school districts, because our kids are suffering the health and climate effects from diesel buses every day,” said Bobby Monacella, Senior Campaigner at Mothers Out Front. “Our goal is to give advocates the tools to ask their districts to apply for the $965,000,000 in federal funding available right now for ESBs.”
After a week of advocating and connecting with other moms and advocates, our caregivers took some time for themselves and rejuvenated during Pause: A Space to Heal and Reconnect During Climate Week on Thursday, September 26th. Co-sponsored by Mothers Out Front, Dear Sundays, Climate Mental Health Network and Safe Space, moms and other climate advocates enjoyed light snacks and workshops geared toward relieving stress and anxiety as they relaxed and connected with each other.
“Pause was such a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Climate Week NY, advocacy and the daily responsibility of caregiving,” said Damaris (Lizeth) Argueta from Mothers Out Front NY. “It’s hard to take care of others when you’re operating from a deficit, so I’m really grateful that Mothers Out Front was intentional about creating space for moms to pause and take care of themselves.”
For photos of these events, click here.
About Climate Week NYC
Climate Week NYC is the largest annual climate event of its kind, bringing together over 600 events and activities across the City of New York – in person, hybrid and online. Each year, business leaders, political change makers, local decision takers and civil society representatives of all ages and backgrounds, from all over the world, gather to drive the transition, speed up progress, and champion change that is already happening. Climate Week NYC is hosted by Climate Group, an international non-profit whose purpose is to drive climate action, fast.
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Mothers Out Front is a member-led climate justice organization. We are mothers, sisters, aunts, grandmothers and other caregivers coming together to make climate justice a priority issue that our decision-makers can no longer ignore. We are building a powerful grassroots movement to ensure a swift, complete and just transition away from fossil fuels and toward a clean and renewable energy future where our children and families can thrive, not just survive.