East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) is a community-based organization that works to facilitate self-advocates in East Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles and Long Beach.
By providing workshops and trainings, EYCEJ prepares community members to engage in the decision-making processes that directly impact their health and quality of life.
Our Work:
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice emerges from years of unheard community voices that have silently suffered the effects of pollution in their neighborhoods. Through grassroots organizing and leadership building skills, EYCEJ works to enable under-represented communities to be heard, which in turn influences policy change, policy makers and agencies that can institute health protective environmental justice policies that are in the best interest of local, regional, and statewide residents.
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice is committed to making real change happen in our communities. As a cohesive unit, the organization has developed a plan of action that utilizes research-based information, workshops and trainings to empower our communities.
The method works because it affects not only public opinion, but policy makers, stakeholders and regulators, who feel strong pressure to respond to well-crafted solutions-oriented community demands. It encourages good corporate citizenship on the part of companies, and most of all, it affects the community members, who learn the skills of self-determination and are forever able to exercise their power in a democratic system.
EYCEJ History
EYCEJ was established in 2001 by residents of the Commerce/East Los Angeles area who were concerned with the increasing environmental health impacts of industrial pollution in their community, as well as several pending expansion projects adjacent to homes, schools and parks. After running into each other at several public meetings and realizing the huge wall they came up against as individuals, these concerned residents made the decision to work in unity and formed a community group that would fight for the lives of their families and neighbors. In 2002, EYCEJ was formally funded as a non-profit organization under the fiscal sponsorship of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE).
Since its inception, EYCEJ has achieved many important successes, including bring issues of environmental justice and air quality to the forefront for other community, environmental, and governmental entities at both regional and statewide level.
Mission and Vision
Mission:
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) is an environmental health and justice non-profit organization working towards a safe and healthy environment for communities that are disproportionately suffering the negative impacts of industrial pollution.
Vision:
EYCEJ recognizes and promotes full and authentic community participation in making policies that affect them directly, promoting the implementation of Environmental Justice guidelines for local, state, and federal governments and agencies as well as industry.
EYCEJ promotes direct democratic decision-making and taking collective action for safe and healthy communities where we live, work, learn and play.
Theory of Change
Base Building
Build self-advocacy and community power to reach self-determination among those most severely affected by toxic pollution.
Policy Change
Improve our community’s health and quality of life by influencing policy decisions that are health protective and environmental justice focused.
Movement Building
Working in collaboration with all stakeholders and influencers to build a local, statewide, national and global movement for environmental health and justice.
About
About EYCEJ
Introduction:
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) is a community-based organization that works to facilitate self-advocates in East Los Angeles, Southeast Los Angeles and Long Beach.
By providing workshops and trainings, EYCEJ prepares community members to engage in the decision-making processes that directly impact their health and quality of life.
Our Work:
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice emerges from years of unheard community voices that have silently suffered the effects of pollution in their neighborhoods. Through grassroots organizing and leadership building skills, EYCEJ works to enable under-represented communities to be heard, which in turn influences policy change, policy makers and agencies that can institute health protective environmental justice policies that are in the best interest of local, regional, and statewide residents.
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice is committed to making real change happen in our communities. As a cohesive unit, the organization has developed a plan of action that utilizes research-based information, workshops and trainings to empower our communities.
The method works because it affects not only public opinion, but policy makers, stakeholders and regulators, who feel strong pressure to respond to well-crafted solutions-oriented community demands. It encourages good corporate citizenship on the part of companies, and most of all, it affects the community members, who learn the skills of self-determination and are forever able to exercise their power in a democratic system.
EYCEJ History
EYCEJ was established in 2001 by residents of the Commerce/East Los Angeles area who were concerned with the increasing environmental health impacts of industrial pollution in their community, as well as several pending expansion projects adjacent to homes, schools and parks. After running into each other at several public meetings and realizing the huge wall they came up against as individuals, these concerned residents made the decision to work in unity and formed a community group that would fight for the lives of their families and neighbors. In 2002, EYCEJ was formally funded as a non-profit organization under the fiscal sponsorship of Social and Environmental Entrepreneurs (SEE).
Since its inception, EYCEJ has achieved many important successes, including bring issues of environmental justice and air quality to the forefront for other community, environmental, and governmental entities at both regional and statewide level.
Mission and Vision
Mission:
East Yard Communities for Environmental Justice (EYCEJ) is an environmental health and justice non-profit organization working towards a safe and healthy environment for communities that are disproportionately suffering the negative impacts of industrial pollution.
Vision:
EYCEJ recognizes and promotes full and authentic community participation in making policies that affect them directly, promoting the implementation of Environmental Justice guidelines for local, state, and federal governments and agencies as well as industry.
EYCEJ promotes direct democratic decision-making and taking collective action for safe and healthy communities where we live, work, learn and play.
Theory of Change
Base Building
Build self-advocacy and community power to reach self-determination among those most severely affected by toxic pollution.
Policy Change
Improve our community’s health and quality of life by influencing policy decisions that are health protective and environmental justice focused.
Movement Building
Working in collaboration with all stakeholders and influencers to build a local, statewide, national and global movement for environmental health and justice.
#Fighting for Life
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