May 15, 2026
NYC Votes asked Minerva Coffie of College & Community Fellowship (CCF) about their program supporting justice-impacted women in New York City.
Tell us a bit about your organization, the people you work with, and the issues that matter most in their day‑to‑day lives in NYC.
College & Community Fellowship (CCF) supports justice‑impacted women across New York City through education, advocacy, and community building. The women we serve reflect the profound ways social inequities disproportionately impact women inequities that are often intensified by justice system involvement. Our community spans generations, including women in their 70s, and most are mothers and primary caregivers balancing the demands of family, school, and survival in one of the most expensive cities in the world.
The issues that matter most in our members’ day‑to‑day lives include financial stability, access to education and employment, caregiving responsibilities, housing, and navigating systems that were not designed with them in mind.
Many face intersecting barriers shaped by economic instability and shifting political and social priorities, which further limit access to opportunity. Through education and holistic support, CCF works to reduce these barriers and support women in building the full, self‑directed lives they envision for themselves and their families.
How does your community experience the city, and how does your organization help them navigate or shape those experiences?
Our community experiences New York City with resilience, resourcefulness, and determination, but also with the constant pressure of systemic barriers. Justice‑impacted women often navigate the city while managing caregiving, employment, reentry, and education, all within systems that can be confusing, punitive, or inaccessible.
CCF helps our members navigate these experiences by providing education, community support, and opportunities to build collective power.
We create spaces where women can learn from one another, share lived experiences and develop the confidence and tools to advocate for themselves and their families.
Through our civic engagement work, we also help members move from navigating the city as individuals to shaping it collectively by understanding their rights, their political power, and their ability to influence decisions that affect their lives.
How do your community members participate in the city in terms of voting, speaking up, or staying informed?
Community members participate through VOICE (Voters Organize for Informed Civic Engagement), CCF’s civic engagement program designed to center justice‑impacted women and their families in building collective political power. Through VOICE, we educate, mobilize, and organize our community to become an informed and confident voting bloc that candidates and elected officials must recognize.
From January to June 2025, VOICE hosted a civic workshop series in partnership with organizations such as the League of Women Voters and NYC Votes. These workshops focused on civic education, voter registration, and building the knowledge and confidence needed to engage in elections. This work culminated in a Forum where we brought elected officials and candidates directly to our members and made it clear that our voices matter and that we vote.
사람들이 투표나 도시 참여에 대해 가장 자주 갖는 질문이나 어려움은 무엇이며, 가장 큰 정보 격차는 어디에 있나요?
One of the most common challenges our members face is uncertainty about eligibility, especially for justice‑impacted New Yorkers who may have received conflicting or incorrect information about their voting rights. Many also have questions about how local government works, what various offices do, and how elections directly connect to their everyday concerns such as housing, education, and public safety.
The biggest information gaps exist where systems are complex, and communication is unclear particularly around voting rights, registration processes, and how to meaningfully engage beyond casting a ballot.
Without accessible, trusted information, many community members feel disengaged or unsure where to start. VOICE addresses these gaps by providing clear, culturally responsive civic education in community‑centered spaces.
How has working with NYC Votes fit into your organization’s work so far, and what makes our support useful or meaningful for your community?
Working with NYC Votes has been a natural and meaningful extension of CCF’s mission and VOICE’s civic engagement work. NYC Votes has helped strengthen our efforts by providing accurate information, tools, and partnership support that align with our commitment to empowering justice‑impacted women as informed voters and civic leaders.
This support is particularly meaningful because it recognizes our community as an essential part of New York City’s electorate and democracy. By partnering with NYC Votes, we are better equipped to ensure our members have access to the information they need to participate confidently and fully reinforcing the message that justice‑impacted women and their families are not only included in civic life, but are a decisive political force in shaping the city’s future.
