The Homeless Union’s Winter Offensive is a series of synchronized actions and protests that take place on “key dates” during the Holiday Season (from Thanksgiving through Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday) in order to highlight the time of year when the poor and homeless experience the most deadly conditions and the highest rates of suicide and death.
The National Union of the Homeless comes together across 5 U.S. regions (the South, Appalachia, Midwest, West and Northeast) to declare: Housing and Healthcare NOW. An End to Genocide and the War Economy! No More Death on the Streets Both Here and Abroad!
We work together to fulfill our mission statement, declaring that “we commit our lives to ending homelessness and poverty and to work tirelessly for the human right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, for social and economic justice for all.”
As part of the National Winter Offensive Organizing Drive we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ and commemorate his life as a Revolutionary.
In a time when there's a relentless push to commercialize this holiday season we're fighting to “Put Christ back into Christmas” –The Revolutionary Christ who fed the hungry, healed the sick, cared for the poor, and built a love revolution to bring down the oppressive power structure of his time.
Our Winter Offensive honors Jesus Christ for the Revolutionary that he was and takes up his message to love one another and organize to end the wars on the poor both here and abroad!
The ‘Longest Night’, also referred to as Homeless Memorial Day, is always December 21st. It is the longest night of the year, the Winter Solstice, the longest night of darkness for our siblings living outside.
On this day/evening we condemn the mass graves of unnamed poor and homeless men, women, and children in potters’ fields around the country and internationally. We honor those we have lost due to this unjust system that denies us our basic human rights and pledge to honor them by continuing to unite and organize for human rights for all!
The Albany, New York chapter had a powerful vigil, despite facing challenging icy wind and cold.
This was our second vigil for our union chapter. This longest night vigil marked the one year anniversary of our first public action together.
About 15-20 people from the unhoused community attended, and for some it was their first National Union of the Homeless event. In total about 50 people showed up from the community and strategic partners.
We gathered first in front of the local department of social services where we read the winter offensive statement and shared testimonies.
We held a short march to the New York State Capitol. Several local and state legislators attended and heard the stories and testimonies of our union leaders. At the steps of the Capitol we read the names of people lost to poverty and homelessness.
We closed with prayers and then went to share a meal together at a local church.
This action was the culmination of a tremendous year of organizing: organizing drives, projects of survival, legislative campaign work, all in the service of organization and leadership development, led to a significant growth since our first action in 2024. We’ll continue with our base building efforts in 2026. “We Won’t Stop, ‘Till Homelessness Drops!”
Change comes from below not above! The system will not save us, we must unite, organize and save each other! Join the growing poverty abolitionist movement!
To join the Albany, NY chapter contact: Phone: (518)-407-3688 (text or call)
Not in Albany, NY but want to join the National Union of the Homeless? Send an email to 2020nuh@gmail.com