Spring 2025 ISSUE Focus on Health and Environment MISSION Our food, water, and climate are under constant assault by corporations who put profit over the survival of humanity. They have seized control of the very institutions that were built to protect us. We mobilize people to reclaim their political power, hold our elected officials accountable, and resist corporate control — ensuring we all have the essential resources we need to thrive. This is a fight we must win because this planet is the only one we get.
Thank You For Fighting Like You Live Here!
GROWING OUR MOVEMENT. YOUNG ACTIVISTS STEPPED UP!
SPRING 2025 ISSUE Meet the Young Activists Fighting for Our Future
Janet Shapiro Honors Her Husband, Alan Messer, by Fostering the Next Generation of Planet Protectors
Because of You, We’re Prepared for a Second Trump Presidency
A MESSAGE FOR YOU
A SPECIAL ON THE GROUND
This spring feels different. Trump is back in the White House, and you and I know this is an existential threat. We’re in the fight of our lives to protect our food, water, and climate. Thanks to you, we’re ready. Our movement is strong. I know that with people power, a smart strategy, and you, we can continue making mean- ingful progress for our planet. We’ve fought back during his administra- tion before — we must do it again, this time with greater urgency. This year is Food & Water Watch’s 20th Anniversary, and I ask you to join me in celebrating this milestone by renewing your resolve to fight for a livable future, like never before. The people and places we love deserve no less than 100 percent of our dedication — especially the young people in our lives. After all, the actions we take today will profoundly shape the world they’ll inherit. That’s why this issue of Livable Future NOW features the voices of our young activists. Your generosity has not only grown our movement over the past 20 years into a force to be reckoned with, you’ve also nurtured younger generations to gain the necessary skills to lead our critical work for years to come. Thank you for protecting our future!
MEET THE YOUNG ACTIVISTS FIGHTING FOR OUR FUTURE
Wenonah Hauter Executive Director
Cover: Feleecia Guillen sharpened her organizing skills by interning with the New Mexico team in 2024.
1 | SPRING 2025
Organizing is best learned through action. Thanks to generous people like you, our Food & Water Watch interns do just that and gain the skills they need to become future leaders in protecting our planet. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, we’re excited to share reflections from our interns, the activists of tomorrow, who will keep our movement strong for the next 20 years.
FELEECIA GUILLEN Tackling Factory Farms in New Mexico
While New Mexico faces severe drought, factory farms are endangering people's access to water by overcon- suming and contaminating groundwater. Feleecia gath- ered support for a statewide factory farm moratorium. “I’m most proud of the skills I gained from phone banking and petitioning, which really pushed me out of my comfort zone. I learned to better communicate with different types of people, listen actively, and build rapport quickly. These skills are essential for effective organizing and advocacy work.”
FRANCESCA ROSSI Protecting California’s Water from Big Ag and Big Oil Big Ag and Oil are guzzling water despite a devastating, climate change-driven drought in the Western United States. Francesca built support for our Protect California Water campaign to rein in corporate water abuses. “The most enjoyable part of the internship was engaging directly with people. I loved learning about people’s stories and values and talking about environmental issues and social inequities. And in attend- ing coalition meetings, I got to really understand the work that goes on behind the scenes and figure out how I could support other organizers.”
TASFIA AHMAD Getting New Jersey to 100% Clean Energy Tasfia poured her energy into several campaigns in New Jersey, including work to prevent
water privatization, oppose the New Jersey Turnpike expansion, and advocate for 100% clean energy. “I enjoyed petitioning, phone banking, the statewide and regional meetings, and any event that got me engaged with community members hands-on. It helped build perspective on what the community is looking for, and it put my skills to use and introduced me to new people and ideas.”
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JULIANA TOLOZA SERNA and RAAJASVI THAKKER
Juliana Raajasvi
Fighting for Climate Action in New York Juliana and Raajasvi pushed for action to stop the Iroquois pipeline expansion and worked to get the Climate Change Super- fund Act signed into law, which Governor Hochul did right before the new year. “This experience taught me how to research my representatives and hold them accountable, and I got better at creating goal-based strategies that had different tactics and a comprehensive timeline. I loved connecting with people
while petitioning and rallying, and it was great seeing them at other events knowing I helped mobilize them.” — Juliana “I learned how to collect signatures, phone bank, and make flyers for events, and improved my outreach and communication skills. I enjoyed the community of activists and the culture of social change that you engage in to accomplish things. I was most proud of the amount of signatures I collected!” — Raajasvi
We need young activists more than ever in our ongoing fight for a livable future. Thank you for training our food, water, and climate leaders of tomorrow!
ISABELLA MOELLER Winning Affordable, Clean Energy for Floridians
Rising temperatures and climate-fueled disas- ters are making electricity more expensive than ever. Hillsborough County, Florida residents have been hit particularly hard. Isabella worked on a local measure focused on climate and utility affordability. “I’m most proud of my work drafting a business sign-on letter to my county commissioners, and business canvassing in my county. Most impor- tantly, I enjoyed doing meaningful work that benefits local communities and the environment and that inspires others to advocate for them- selves and their community.”
Grow More Leaders
Your gift could train more food, water,
and climate leaders like our Food & Water Watch interns. Donate today to make 4X the impact with our early Earth Day Match!
fwaction.us/spring25LFN
Microplastics are contaminating our food and water. Join our Plastics Action Team to urge our elected leaders and the EPA to act! fwaction.us/plasticsaction
Calling All Activists!
3 | SPRING 2025
DONOR SPOTLIGHT
Janet Shapiro Honors Her Husband, Alan Messer, by Fostering the Next Generation of Planet Protectors Food & Water Watch’s internship program is made possible by the generosity of Janet Shapiro in memory of her husband, Alan Messer. Alan was a fierce and committed activist and a valued member of our New York team for over a decade. His smile and sense of humor are deeply missed and warmly remembered. Livable Future NOW is honored to share our recent conversation with Janet. Please introduce yourself to our readers. My name is Janet Shapiro. I'm a critical care physician in New York City. You and your late husband, Alan Messer, are the reason Food & Water Watch has been able to recruit and train young activists for our internships, which were featured on our cover story. What motivated you to sponsor this program? Alan was a brilliant artist and illustrator who celebrated the beauty of nature in his work. He believed so deeply in the cause of environmen- tal protection and fairness. He joined protests as long as he was able. He always wanted young people to be educated and active in environ- mental causes, so I see this internship as a way to honor Alan and his values. Many people in our community remember Alan as an incredibly dedicated activist. What do you think he would say to young people who are interested in getting involved? He would be thrilled to say something — he loved to talk! And especially to speak about climate change, including the dangers
Janet and Alan enjoyed their trips to Aruba, one of their favorite places. Alan especially loved birding.
In this era in our country, we need Food & Water Watch more than ever. — Janet Shapiro
of fracking. He would tell young people to get involved with a community of devoted people, such as the leaders and activists at Food & Water Watch, where they can learn and make a difference in the world. Alan would tell them to do what he felt he had to do — get out into the fight of our lives. How do issues Food & Water Watch / Food & Water Action work on impact where you live and the world around you? Although I always believed in the work of environmentalists, it was Alan’s passion that inspired me to recognize this cause as funda- mental for our time. I’m grateful for the work and persistence of Food & Water Watch. This organization is significantly responsible for banning fracking in my state of New York. What gives you hope for the future? I have hope for the future because of the commitment of Food & Water Watch — an outstanding organization — and the remarkable people who work each day to protect us. In this era in our country, we need Food & Water Watch more than ever.
FOOD & WATER WATCH / ACTION — LIVABLE FUTURE NOW | 4
A Look Back at 20 Years: A History of Firsts
While Food & Water Watch has fought factory farms since our inception in 2005, we became the first national organization to officially call for a ban on factory farms in 2018. A few years later, we published the Well-Fed report to show there’s a better, sustain- able way to feed our country.
Pictured above, Left: Our “Factory Farms Make Me Sick” campaign spread the word with a billboard in New York City’s Times Square in 2015. Photo by Jon Simon. Right: CJ and his family were featured in our Well-Fed report. They’re dedicated to regenerative farming practices at their Keenbell Farm in Virginia.
Here’s to 20 more years of protecting our food, water, and climate! Celebrate with us! See how you can participate organization to call for a ban on fracking . Working with allies and generous people like you, since then we banned fracking in New York (2014) , Maryland (2017) , Wash- ington (2019) , the Delaware River Basin (2021) , and California (2024) . Pictured above: The exciting day Maryland officially banned fracking. In 2011, Food & Water Watch became the first national
In 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, we became the first national organization to call for an end to water shutoffs . Proper washing was essential to staying safe during one of the worst global health crises in the last century. Together, we stopped water shutoffs in 15 states and 700 municipalities and eventually won a nationwide water shutoff mora- torium — the first time the federal government provided support for low-income household water bills. Pictured left: A masked and socially- distanced action in Washington, DC to stop utility shutoffs nationwide.
in our 20th Anniversary events.
fwwat.ch/20years
Thanks to you, Food & Water Watch have become experts at mobilizing people and building coali- tions equipped to win important protections for our planet. Each milestone you made possible last year brought real relief to communities fighting to protect the people and places they love. See the incredible work you accomplished!
ICYMI: Your Most
Recent Annual Report!
fwwat.ch/2024
5 | SPRING 2025
YOUR FOOD & WATER WATCH AT WORK
Because of You, We’re Prepared for a Second Trump Presidency Trump intends an all-out assault on civil rights, environ- mental protections, and people who disagree with him. Thanks to you, we’re fighting back. From the streets to the courts to the halls of Congress, Food & Water Watch will oppose Trump at every level and in every way possible. Together, we’ll protect our food, water, and climate by:
ACTION SHOT!
Advocating for Climate-Friendly Policies We’re increasing our lobbying efforts, crafting more legislation, and pushing our leaders to pass laws that protect our planet. Strengthening People Power We’re organizing activists and cultivating new leaders to bolster our grassroots movement. Expanding the Food & Water Volunteer Network We’re recruiting and training more activists to take on critical battles in key regions. Boosting Legal Action and Research We’re identifying wrongdoing and filing high-impact legal actions. Educating and Empowering Supporters We’re connecting people across the country through our events, research reports, and each piece of communication we publish.
Last September, Food & Water Watch and our allies gathered in Athens, New York, for a “kayak-tion” on the Hudson River to urge Gover- nor Hochul to stop the Iroquois natural gas pipeline expansion. In that same month, the Village of Athens passed a resolution urging Hochul to deny the air permit for the project. Hudson Valley Senior Organizer Emily Skydel said,
I commend the village of Athens for standing up for the right to clean air, clean water, and a livable future. It’s up to Governor Hochul to do her job and protect the people she’s been elected to serve.
We’re in for the fight of our lives. Together with you, we’ll continue to protect the people and places we love.
We can protect our planet by working together
Read your spring quarterly victories update — a positive reminder that when we work together, we can make meaningful progress.
fwwat.ch/spring25wins
Icons on the right, top to bottom, from the Noun Project, created by Aficons, illangArtGalley, Berkah Icon, Max Hancock, no credit
FOOD & WATER WATCH / ACTION — LIVABLE FUTURE NOW | 6
UPCOMING EVENTS
See what’s coming up and register at fwwat.ch/live environmental news and shares what you can do to protect our food, water, and climate. Livable Future LIVE! is for YOU Livable Future Live is our free event series complimentary to all Food & Water Watch members. This monthly virtual education series features the latest It’s Food & Water Watch’s 20th anniversary — and you’re invited!
20 YEARS of GRASSROOTS ORGANIZING Against All Odds
RECEPTION IN NEW YORK CITY
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
TUESDAY May 6 TH
TUESDAY May 13 TH
6:00–8:30 PM Eastern At Scandinavia House
3:30–5:30 PM Eastern 12:30 – 2:30 PM Pacific
FEATURING HONOREES
Ken Schles Photographer and volunteer activist
Jackie Kendall
and Steve Max
Throughout 2025, we’ll commemorate our history, community, and your impact.
Strategic trainers and lifelong activists
JOIN US! Register for our benefit to celebrate Food & Water Watch's 20th Anniversary! fwwat.ch/benefit2025
Learn how you can participate in 20th Anniversary events!
fwwat.ch/20years
foodandwaterwatch.org Food & Water Watch is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that educates and advocates for safe food, clean water, and a livable climate. Gifts to Food & Water Watch are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Combined Federal Campaign #17460 foodandwateraction.org Food & Water Action is our affiliated 501(c)4 nonprofit that mobilizes people to win campaigns that builds political power. Gifts to Food & Water Action Fund are not tax deductible.
MISSION Our food, water, and climate are under constant assault by corporations who put profit over the survival of humanity. They have seized control of the very institutions that were built to protect us. We mobilize people to reclaim their political power, hold our elected officials accountable, and resist corporate control — ensuring we all have the essential resources we need to thrive. This is a fight we must win because this planet is the only one we get.
NATIONAL OFFICE 1616 P Street, NW, Suite 300 Washington, DC 20036 T: (202) 683-2500 Toll-free: 855-340-8083
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