idealist.org

Founded in October 2001, the mission of the Street Vendor Project of the Urban Justice Center is to advance economic and social justice among the approximately 10,000 people who sell food and merchandise on the streets and sidewalks of New York City.

We are a membership-based organization, founded and run by former vendors, that provides legal representation, advocacy, and grassroots organizing support to vendors across the city. For the first time ever, vendors are getting together to defend their rights in the police precincts, in the courts, in City Hall, in Albany, and, above all, in the streets. Vendors are learning that unity is the best way for them to ensure that their businesses will thrive.