Better Islip Coalition Launches to Build People Power Across the Town of Islip

BRENTWOOD, NY — Islip Forward and Uplift Our Towns today announced the launch of the Better Islip Coalition, a new community-led organizing effort focused on building the people power needed to reshape the Town of Islip and shift the dynamics of local power back toward the people who live here.

Co-led by Islip Forward and Uplift Our Towns, the Better Islip Coalition will bring together residents, volunteers, community leaders, and local organizations committed to a more responsive, accountable, and people-centered Town of Islip.

For too long, decisions affecting working families and communities across the Town of Islip have been made without enough transparency, accountability, or meaningful public participation. The Better Islip Coalition is being built to change that — not simply by reacting to individual decisions, but by organizing a lasting base of residents prepared to show up, speak out, develop new leaders, and shape the future of their town.

“For nearly a decade, Uplift Our Towns has believed that meaningful change starts when communities come together. Joining the Better Islip Coalition is an opportunity to strengthen that commitment by working alongside organizations that share a vision of a more equitable, transparent, and engaged Town of Islip," said Miguel Turell, President and Co-Founder of Uplift Our Towns. "We know that lasting progress doesn’t happen through one organization alone, it happens through collaboration, listening to residents, and taking action together. We’re excited to help build that future.”

The coalition will focus on grassroots organizing, civic engagement, leadership development, community education, public accountability, and coordinated action around the issues affecting residents across the Town of Islip. Its goal is to build durable community power capable of changing how decisions are made and who gets a meaningful voice in those decisions.

“Real change in the Town of Islip will not come from waiting for those in power to suddenly become more accountable. It will come from organized people building enough power to demand something better,” said Ahmad Perez, Executive Director of Islip Forward. “The Better Islip Coalition is about bringing our neighbors together, strengthening local leadership, and making clear that the future of this town belongs to the people who live here.”

The launch comes at a moment of growing demand for greater accountability and public participation across the Town of Islip. Through sustained organizing and collaboration, the coalition intends to create new pathways for residents to become involved in local issues, organize within their own communities, and collectively push for a town government that better reflects and serves its people.

About Islip Forward

Islip Forward is a volunteer-led civic organization committed to building community power, strengthening local democracy, and advancing accountability across the Town of Islip. Through grassroots organizing, public education, direct action, and civic engagement, Islip Forward works to ensure residents have a meaningful voice in the decisions shaping their communities.