Mission
Sixth Street Community Center is a community-based not-for-profit organization founded in 1978 and committed to advancing social, environmental, housing, economic and racial justice in the East Village and Lower East Side community. We believe that people of all backgrounds and incomes in New York City have the right to a safe, clean, and healthy environment and have their basic needs met with dignity and respect. Our mission is as follows:
- Provide emergency services and act as an emergency hub in response to community crises around extreme weather, food shortages and economic insecurity.
- Expand food access and affordability of fresh, organic, locally farmed foods to neighborhood families and promote sustainable food systems through our Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Program, Urban Farming/Food Sovereignty Workshops, Free Food Distribution, on-site Community Fridge and Mutual Aid Cooking Project.
- Educate/ train youth and teens about root causes of the climate crisis and solutions, equitable urban living, sustainable urban agriculture and climate justice action empowering them to become active and engaged climate leaders.
- Engage our diverse community through grassroots organizing on critical environmental justice campaigns. We strategize and advocate for community led solutions that address the root causes of the climate crisis.
History
SSCC is located in the heart of the Lower East Side in Manhattan in a lovingly restored former synagogue. Having emerged from the homesteading movement, we have been a hub of social, environmental, housing, economic and racial justice organizing since 1978.
In 1978, a group of single mothers living on East 6th Street between Avenues B and C formed a block association. Exhausted by the decrepit condition of their neighborhood where they were struggling to raise their children and improve their environmental conditions, they actively visioned that through joint effort they could foster positive change for their community. After years of grassroots organizing and fundraising, the block association was able to purchase and revive the abandoned synagogue to become a center for the people.
Since its inception, SSCC has fostered economic and community development through a variety of programs including after school and summer programs, tenants rights and entitlement advocacy, and life skills and career development for teens and adults. As early as 1996, SSCC initiated projects that brought youth and community residents together around issues of sustainable urban living, sustainable agriculture, environmental advocacy, health and nutrition through our CSA, Seeds to Supper, and SOS Food Programs.
Today, SSCC offers nearly 200 local youth and teens after school enrichment and summer programs rooted in a climate justice curriculum. We are dedicated to empowering our youth to be active and engaged leaders and effective organizers in our local community and beyond. Our youth, teen and adult programs focus on equipping our community to confront the climate crisis, through political education and grassroots organizing.
In 1978, a group of single mothers living on East 6th Street between Avenues B and C formed a block association. Exhausted by the decrepit condition of their neighborhood where they were struggling to raise their children and improve their environmental conditions, they actively visioned that through joint effort they could foster positive change for their community. After years of grassroots organizing and fundraising, the block association was able to purchase and revive the abandoned synagogue to become a center for the people.
Since its inception, SSCC has fostered economic and community development through a variety of programs including after school and summer programs, tenants rights and entitlement advocacy, and life skills and career development for teens and adults. As early as 1996, SSCC initiated projects that brought youth and community residents together around issues of sustainable urban living, sustainable agriculture, environmental advocacy, health and nutrition through our CSA, Seeds to Supper, and SOS Food Programs.
Today, SSCC offers nearly 200 local youth and teens after school enrichment and summer programs rooted in a climate justice curriculum. We are dedicated to empowering our youth to be active and engaged leaders and effective organizers in our local community and beyond. Our youth, teen and adult programs focus on equipping our community to confront the climate crisis, through political education and grassroots organizing.