Join EYCEJ online today for #GivingTuesday, the massive global online giving event. For your #GivingTuesday donation, become a member of EYCEJ.

Yesterday our staff took time to reflect on, and evaluate, 2015 and we came to several conclusion:

  1) Our movement rocked this year!!

2) We have a lot more work to do.

              3) We are exhausted and under resourced.

 We won hard-fought victories this year through community action and leadership:

• First Green Zones policy and implementation plan approved in the nation!

• Metro Board approved Supervisor Solis’ motion to study elements of Community Alternative 7 for the I-710 Project with mass mobilizations of our members and allies from East LA, South East LA and Long Beach #DemocratizingPlanning #Our710.

• Exposed the China Shipping Scandal at the Port of Long Angeles.

• Our members in Commerce, East LA and Boyle Heights SHUT DOWN EXIDE and are forcing the cleanup of the 10,000+ potentially poisoned properties.

In addition to our victories, we launched innovative programming:

• First ever LA River Bike Toxic Tour: History and Construction of Environmental Racism

• La Cosecha Colectiva has grown with 25 homes participating in a decentralized community garden connecting East LA, South East LA and Long Beach.

• #RecalimingTheLARiver Bike-In Photo & Film Exhibit, a film and photography exhibit presented by EYCEJ youth, focused on reclaiming the dignity and respect of the LA river for the Lower LA River communities.

• The Marina Pando Social Justice Research Collaborative: 1st Annual Grassroots Research Symposium is a hub for first generation undergraduate students of color to have a supportive environment in which to conduct social justice oriented research. Read about their work here! 

In 2016 we will continue to focus on democratizing planning (community centered decision making for our communities), fighting the pollution that impacts our overburdened communities, taking over the Lower LA River and our streets with innovative bike programming, building the next generation of technical experts and social justice researchers from within our youth membership, growing the organic neighborhood market we wish our community had in our very own yards, all of which is possible through our core commitment to build well informed & well equipped self-advocates through our Leadership Development Program.

To make this possible, we ask that you donate:

• $5 for your 2016 EYCEJ membership
• $15 for EYCEJ’s 15th year as an organization
• $20, which is $1 for each mile of the Lower LA River
• $110, which is $1 for every 1,000 people affected by Exide
• $500 to cover material cost of our Leadership Development workshop for our members.
• $1,000, to cover materials for the LA River Bike Toxic Tour

Your financial contributions will help bolster this work on multiple levels. Can you take a moment now to donate to EYCEJ?

We fight for these communities, because these are our communities.  We were born here.  We im/migrated here. We were raised here. We are raising our families here. We went to school here. Our kids go to school here. Our families still live here. We will continue to be here and fight to build our communities. On this “Giving Tuesday” we ask you to join our movement by contributing to our sustainability and growth in 2016 because our victories literally mean less of our children suffer from asthma and impaired development, less of our families lose a loved one to cancer and other respiratory illnesses, the quality of life for thousands of residents in East LA, South East LA and Long Beach is improved, and more of our community is co-powered to practice self-determination.

I know every non-profit is reaching out today in hopes you can help fund their work, and we encourage you to support other groups that do the hard work of building grassroots community centered movements along with EYCEJ because we know how difficult and intensive the work is, we know the potential power that can be built, and we know that every dollar goes further.

DONATE to EYCEJ TODAY!

Fighting for life,

mark! Lopez

Member and Executive Director

East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice