Riverside Weekly Actions | September 24, 2026
Time to Organize Power
Exodus 18 tells of Moses sitting alone, day after day, judging every dispute a newly freed people brought to him. His father-in-law Jethro watches this and asks a piercing question: “What is this that you are doing? Why do you sit alone?” Jethro’s advice reads like an organizing manual three thousand years old. Moses cannot do this by himself; the load is too heavy and he will wear himself out. Jethro tells him to find capable people and distribute authority among them, building layers of shared leadership across the community.
This story names something organizers know: power hoarded by one person or one group is fragile and exhausting. Power shared through structure becomes durable. It multiplies capacity and turns a single voice into a coordinated body capable of sustained, strategic action. Organizing for systemic change asks the same of us: trade solo heroics for people power, shared leadership, and collective action toward equitable outcomes.
Below are some concrete ways we can build power together:
Mental Health Listening Circle – October 4, 1:30pm, 9T
Real power starts with people speaking honestly and listening to one another. Join Metro-IAF/Manhattan Together organizers, community leaders, and fellow congregants for a listening circle on New York City’s mental health crisis and its toll on our communities.
Come add your voice. Come listen to others. Come help build the shared power we need for a more compassionate, effective response to New York’s mental health crisis.
Mayoral Accountability Action – October 11, 12:45pm
People power built this agenda — now people power will hold it accountable. The Riverside Church joins Metro IAF at Queens College to call on Mayor Mamdani to follow through on the commitments he made to our communities in 2025.
More than 10,000 New Yorkers organized together through Metro IAF to win a people-powered agenda: affordable housing, fixing NYCHA, addressing the mental health crisis, and action on community issues. Mayor Mamdani committed to this agenda because thousands of us stood together and demanded it.
We’ll meet at The Riverside Church at 12:45 PM and travel together by bus to Queens College.
Bus departure from Riverside: 12:45 PM
Event at Queens College: 2:30 PM
Register now to secure your spot on the bus Oct 11- Mayoral Accountability Action
Everyone needs to get involved in preserving our democracy and exercising our voting power. Engage in these actions and invite a friend or two:
Faith, Digital Literacy & Election Disinformation Tuesday, September 29 | 7:00 PM | Zoom Learn how to recognize and respond to election misinformation and disinformation, communicate trustworthy information within our communities, and connect faith communities to broader Election Protection and rapid-response efforts. Register: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/_Su_gVLySOWhps-g-Y8pOg
Election Protection Training Saturday, October 3rd | 1:00 PM-4:00 PM | Assembly Hall, The Riverside Church Join us to become a trained volunteer for poll monitoring! With us, you will learn how to support your neighbors—and yourself—by understanding your voting rights, de-escalation techniques, and how to respond to issues at the polls.
Register: NYS Election Protection Volunteer Training · Hands Off NYC
Faith Leader Election Preparedness Workshop Tuesday, October 6 | 10:00 AM–1:00 PM | In Person St. Mark’s Church in-the-Bowery, 131 E. 10th St., Manhattan Faith leaders will work through realistic election scenarios and develop shared plans for how we can respond together to potential election disruptions and protect our communities and our democracy. Dinner will be served.
Register: https://forms.gle/DN4W2sZiuyzkT7xw9