Meet Luke Grandis (they/them), Statewide Organizer for VOCAL-NY. VOCAL is a grassroots community-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to building political power among people with low to no income impacted by the war on drugs, homelessness, HIV/AIDS, and mass incarceration. “Focused on policies of justice & equity and politics of love & compassion, we fight to change laws statewide to change and save the lives of all New Yorkers.”
Luke and their organization have been extremely busy during this pandemic - now more than ever supporting vulnerable communities and individuals not only on a personal basis, but larger scale basis is extremely crucial for a prosperous and safe future for all. We talked to Luke about their work and the pandemic. “Even though I work remotely since VOCAL is based out of Brooklyn, I miss my ability to go into my local office in Albany and walking or skateboarding to and from work. Work has changed tremendously as a result of COVID-19. I am usually traveling regularly and we are normally storming the Capitol, lobbying, taking direct actions & holding press conferences on a regular basis to put pressure on elected officials & fight for changes in legislation. We are still organizing, and moving to action remotely, but have shifted our focus to addressing more immediate needs-based issues that have come to exist due to COVID-19.”
VOCAL is one of many organizations fighting through this pandemic, in solidarity. People like Luke are often overlooked when you think of the word “essential” but in the worlds of the humans VOCAL-NY fights to protect, they’re essential everyday. Especially in times like this, we can’t just stop fighting for equality, we can’t stop the compassion for other humans. The homeless can’t stay home, vulnerable communities become more vulnerable. Lukas tells us, “My biggest struggle with this quarantine is actively worrying about people who use drugs and/or people in recovery as overdose rates are spiking right now and, as a harm reductionist and person in remission from heroin dependence, this is hard not to think about consistently.”
Although there are pertinent issues, and working from home makes it difficult to disconnect, Luke finds their ways of doing so. “I put up some holiday lights to brighten things up at home/temporary office. Aroma-therapy, getting out into nature when possible, indoor plants, and getting in touch with music have been extremely helpful.”
Like many of us, we are quarantined with our partners, and that could be a true test for some. Lucky enough to have that human connection, and potentially strengthening it. Luke commented “ I don’t care if it sounds cheesy: This pandemic has taught me how much I appreciate and am grateful for being friends with the person I love and am married to. We share a small apartment and I can’t imagine both working from home and sharing this square footage with anyone else and getting along so well.”
Luke has an aura that radiates love and positivity, and you could see that in their eyes even before they told us they wanted to ensure everyone knew this: "I hope for anyone and everyone reading this to know I love them and that their value is based on far more than their productivity.” We are lucky to have humans like Luke fighting for our communities.
In closing, let’s all look for appreciation in our surroundings. Whether it’s our significant others, our health, look towards uplifting others and realize there are organizations you can become members of to champion their goals and mission. “To anyone who has ever wanted to make a difference, but felt like activism and politics are intimidating, I’ve been there before too and had no clue the difference we can all make as individuals. Your voice matters.”
Thank you Luke and the folx at Vocal for all of the work you do, being there for humans of NY.
For more information on VOCAL-NY please visit http://www.vocal-ny.org or follow them on instagram @vocalnewyork.
// Please note all quoted statements above are those of Mx. Grandis and not reflective Faiella Studios.