15 Years of building power for Human Rights

Enjoy Our Celebration Video from Upstart Media on Vimeo.

Hey Everybody,

As we celebrate our 15th Anniversary, our work at WRAP is more urgent than ever.

We need your support to raise funds for 2021. We have started strong: our gratitude goes to a few donors who have contributed $15,000 as a match.

Please join them with contributions of $15, $150, $1,500 or MORE.

In the midst of a pandemic, ongoing police brutality, emboldened white supremacy, and a housing crisis of epic proportions, cities continue to criminalize the survival of those living unsheltered. Sleeping, sitting, standing still: these are the kinds of activities—necessary for life—that cities insist on outlawing for too many of our community members.

In fact, in 2020 we expanded from our regional organizing base to begin leading a national campaign, for House Keys Not Sweeps. With this growth, we join an unprecedented number of people who are saying NO to white supremacy, NO to climate catastrophe, NO to human rights abuses at the border and throughout our cities; YES to the end of the prison industrial complex, YES to defunding the police, YES to dignity for all regardless of gender, YES to healthcare for all, YES to the human right to housing.

As we conclude our fifteenth year, three things continue to sustain us:

1.) Our members remain the heart and soul of WRAP. Fifteen years ago, a group of local organizations came together to start WRAP. Above all, we knew we had to make sure our own community members’ voices were setting our priorities—to counteract top-down agendas. On ALL aspects of our work, from policies to programs to budgeting and more, it was and remains imperative that WRAP staff take the lead of our members. Our members, in turn, take the lead of their local communities. This is a fight of, by, and for our communities!

2.) We continue our staunch commitment to the issues of housing and criminalization. From our first days, the two key issues our members wanted to focus on very clearly came down to the human right to housing and ending the criminalization of homelessness and poverty. We are not setting these issues aside until we win.

3.) Finally, a small, generous group of donors steadfastly supports our work. From day one, well over half of our income has come from individual contributors who truly believe in WRAP’s mission. WRAP’s donor base runs the gamut from public housing residents and people on fixed income all the way to people sharing inheritances with us. We respect and value each of these gifts, regardless of the dollar amount, because they come from the heart. Your support gives us hope that, collectively, we CAN build a society in which a stably housed, healthy, vibrant community is real.

By providing space for our members to organize with other communities, each struggle becomes a part of a larger movement fighting for dignity for poor and homeless people. The changes we are fighting for are not going to happen overnight. We have to stay consistent in our vision and priorities. Thanks to all of you, we can stay committed to this for the long haul!

We wish you and your loved ones good health, strong spirits, and a thriving community in 2021.

Peace,
Paul Boden
WRAP Executive Director