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TESTIMONY

Speaker on behalf of Marisa DeDominicis, Executive Director of Earth Matter NY, on the Impacts of Defunding Community Composting Programs and Education Efforts

7:21:17

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The speaker addressed the cessation of funding for Earth Matter NY's community composting initiatives and compost education work due to city budget cuts since January 2024.

They highlighted the vital community support Earth Matter NY received, including 40,000 petition signatures and donations, to continue operating without municipal funding.
The testimony emphasized the indispensable role of community composting in environmental sustainability efforts.
The speaker urged the City Council to restore funding for community composting in the fiscal year 2025 budget to allow these programs to persist.

UNKNOWN

7:21:17

Hello?

7:21:18

Hello?

7:21:19

Hi.

7:21:19

I'm I will be speaking on behalf of Marissa Deidamaniquez of Earth Matter, New York.

7:21:25

She's the executive director.

7:21:28

Since January 2024, the city's budget cuts eliminated earth matters in all community composting funding for compost processing and compost education work.

7:21:38

Since December, friends and supporters, 40,000 petition signers, individuals and large donors, such as Milan friends, supported us with $5 donations and higher, to validate our efforts, to be active participants, to save our planet by encouraging neighbor dissipation in separating out food scraps and core materials to be magically transformed by microbes into what we call black gold.

7:22:03

Elected officials and friends encouraged us to keep the fire going in spite of the fact that our mayor and DSMI felt our work was dispensable.

7:22:12

We embrace the hope that we could financially be in a position to continue the work if we just kept our infrastructure for community composting up and running for 6 months.

7:22:21

Since this time, there has not been a day that has gone by that one of my staff, someone from Grande City Workers Collective, Laurie Sidingology Center, big reuse or one of the botanical gardens has made it abundantly clear why and how our work is indispensable.

7:22:36

Contrary to a DSMI in the mirror have stated through their lack of financial support.

7:22:42

Request for our Black Gold Compose from Peace University's New Garden, Battery Park Conservancy, Downtown Alliance over 16 New York City Parks Department Community Gardens, community members who drop off who drop off at farmers markets to name a few or a few reasons of how and why we feel like we should not be considered dispensable.

7:23:05

New Yorkers who contact us to volunteer to help with 0 waste events.

7:23:08

Friday, workdays are farm and community visitor.

7:23:13

Open hours on weekends on Governors Island has been earth matters constant tender for us to keep this hope, this fire going these past months.

7:23:22

We need you city council members to validate our work and the work of all New Yorkers who do not agree with the mayor or GSM either our community compass work is dispensable.

7:23:31

Thank you, Council members.

7:23:32

Please vote to restore our community composting budget in fiscal year 25 to keep the community composting fire glowing and growing.

← Previous Chapter

Jane Selden, Committee Chair on Waste Reduction at 350 NYC, on the Importance of Community Composting Programs for Ensuring the Success of Mandatory Citywide Curbside Composting in New York City

Next Chapter →

Keanu Arpels-Josiah, Organizer at Fridays for Future NYC, on the Urgent Need for Climate Justice and Restoration of Community Composting Programs in New York City