UPROSE, founded in 1966, is Brooklyn, New York’s oldest Latino community-based organization. An intergenerational, multi-racial, nationally recognized community organization, UPROSE promotes sustainability and resiliency in Brooklyn’s Sunset Park neighborhood through community organizing, education, indigenous and youth leadership development, and cultural/artistic expression. UPROSE views the just urban policy—ranging from transportation to open space—as the heart of climate adaptation and community resilience.
After Hurricane Sandy in 2012, UPROSE hosted a community meeting where neighbors shared stories of unexpected challenges they faced and how others supported them. Participants began to come up with community resiliency strategies and identify opportunities for climate adaptation projects in their own homes and neighborhood blocks to make the community more sustainable and resilient. UPROSE continues to collect data from locals—especially after storms and throughout the COVID pandemic—to determine what practices are successful and what additional support is needed. They recruit and train residents as “block captains” to help better prepare and respond to inevitable climate related emergencies.