Happy Earth Month, everyone! Here’s to hoping for warmer weather and no more snow. As we continue to cruise through the year, here are a few updates and events to keep you in the loop. |
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April Full Network Meeting |
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Thanks to everyone who was able to join us for our second meeting of the year! This month we were fortunate enough to host a panel with Tiffany Taulton of the Hazelwood Initiative and Markese Long of Partner4Work to discuss their work on environmental justice and livelihoods, pressing issues in the area, and how we all can better get involved and support this work. Following our panel, our 60+ attendees broke into groups to brainstorm specific action items and campaigns to support. Check out the link below for the meeting notes, key takeaways from the Jamboard, and various resources shared during the meeting! |
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2022 Full Network Meeting Schedule |
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Don’t want to miss out on future EJGP meetings? We’ve got you covered. To allow everyone more time to plan to attend our network meetings, we’ve set the schedule for the year! Our meetings will be: Tuesday, Jun 14, 9-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Aug 9, 9-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Oct 11, 9-10:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Dec 6, 9-10:30 a.m. Zoom links and calendar invites will follow. See you there!
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*New!* EJGP's Cross-Community Network |
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We’re inviting neighborhood groups and residents to join the Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh Cross-Community Network! |
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The Cross-Community Network is a network of community groups, community-based organizations, and residents who want transformational, people-centered change in their communities and across the Greater Pittsburgh region. Join us every other month to talk about what’s going on in neighborhoods across the area. FIRST MEETING: May 10th, 2022 Zoom opens at 5:45pm ET; meeting starts at 6. |
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From the EJGP Project Team Desk |
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New Mission and Vision Statements |
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After careful consideration and support from the advisory group and the project team we’ve come up with an updated mission and vision that supports the values, practices, and efforts off the network! |
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THE EJGP NETWORK: Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh is a regional network for people and groups committed to advancing equity and justice to connect, learn, collaborate, build power, and create change across interconnected issues and places |
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OUR MISSION To push for equitable and just policies and programs to achieve transformational, people-centered change in Greater Pittsburgh. |
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OUR VISION FOR THE REGION Every person in Greater Pittsburgh has the resources, ability, and power to feel secure and succeed in ways that matter to them, now and for generations to come. |
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Platform for an Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh |
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In honor of Dr. King, Earth Day, Wangari Maathai’s birthday, and the retirement of Betty Reid Soskin, we’d like to uplift the following items from the EJGP Platform: Climate & Environment 4.2: Reduce logistical barriers (eg. transportation) and increase accessibility to green spaces for people residing in overburdened and under-resourced communities
Livelihoods 6.3: Create jobs in the neighborhood that are sustainable and not temporary, and prioritize neighborhood residents |
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The Get the Lead Out campaign has been working with City of Pittsburgh Council people and their offices to build out the Pittsburgh Lead Safety Law. The new law is anticipated to have a May 2022 rollout. We’ll follow up with more details about implementation when they become available. For more information or if you’d like to get involved, please contact info@gettheleadout.org. |
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Fair Fares for a Full Recovery |
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Image from www.pittsburghersforpubilctransit.org |
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The Fair Fares for a Full Recovery Coalition is developing a proposal for how a Fair Fares program for lower income riders might operate. They are taking into consideration the feedback that they’ve received from bus riders and bus drivers about opportunities and concerns about such a program. A recent op-ed in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette highlights the efforts of the Fair Fares team to make mass transit more affordable. They welcome more input and involvement from others! If you would like to join the bi-weekly planning meetings or learn more about the campaign, contact Sam Applefield at sam@pittsburghfoodpolicy.org |
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Pittsburgh Earth Day Climate Strike |
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Pittsburghers from the Sunrise Movement and other allied organizations will rally at 414 Grant Street on April 22, 2022 from 2pm-4pm to celebrate Earth Day and push for serious climate justice policy from our local, state, and national governments. They’ll be striking to make sure that people in power know that they can’t keep ignoring the voices of the people, and are hoping to bring out as big of a crowd as possible. Any interested parties should feel free to attend and join in on celebrating Earth Day! |
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Hazelwood Earth Day Celebration |
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April 23rd 2022 9:00am - 6:00pm 4900 Block of 2nd Avenue, Hazelwood |
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Join the Greater Hazelwood community and enjoy live music, food, plant giveaways and more to celebrate Hazelwood’s Climate Cup Challenge award! |
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Mobile Mammography Screening Event & Health Fair |
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May 17-18, 2022, Heinz Field (FedEx Great Hall) from 8:00am - 5:00pm |
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The Alpha Kappa Alpha Mobile Mammography Unit will be hosting a community health fair and providing free 3D mammograms and additional health screenings for uninsured individuals. Eligibility Criteria for receiving a no-cost mammogram: • Be at least 40 years of age • Women and men between the ages of 35 and 39 can receive one (1) baseline mammogram screening without an order • Have not had previous mammogram in the past year • Have no current breast problems or complaints **Registration Deadline is May 3, 2022! To register call (888)-233-6121 or register online at www.assuredimaging.com/AKA Free transportation for mammogram registrants! Email mageeoutreach@upmc.edu for more information. |
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Women for a Healthy Environment Annual Event |
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Women for a Healthy Environment are hosting celebrated environmentalist Leah Thomas at their annual fundraiser in early May. Thomas, who coined the term ‘eco-communicator’, uses her passion for writing and creativity to explore and advocate for the critical yet often overlooked relationship between social justice and environmentalism. With this intersection in mind, Thomas founded and launched Intersectional Environmentalist in 2020, a resource hub and platform that aims to advocate for environmental justice, provide educational resources surrounding intersectional environmentalism, and promote inclusivity and accessibility within environmental education and movements. Hear an interview with her about how social and climate injustices intertwine. |
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PA Office of Environmental Justice Comment Period |
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The comment period for the updated Environmental Justice Policy for Pennsylvania is nearly half-way over. This policy integrates environmental justice into more of the PA Department of Environmental Protection’s functions including climate initiatives, penalties (Inspections, Compliance, and Enforcement), and grantmaking (Community Development and Investments). Here are some resources about the policy. To provide feedback at a public hearing (April 28th or May 4th) or to provide written feedback on the updated policy, visit the policy revision webpage. |
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This June 11, 12, and 13, people from across Pennsylvania will be converging in the streets of Harrisburg to change the conversation on climate change. The Festival for the Planet will feature talks, tablings, musical and dance performances, street theater, art installations, and interactive art builds, all expressing the urgent need for climate action. |
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Healthy Environments Strong Bodies Committee of The Pittsburgh Study |
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The housing subcommittee of Allegheny County Anchored Reentry (ACAR) is evaluating possible changes in local fair housing laws that will increase housing choices for persons with prior justice system involvement. To better inform their work, ACAR is hoping to hear from members of the community about the policy changes you would like to see. ACAR invites you and other community members to respond to this survey. Responses will help to make appropriate fair housing law recommendations. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Wesley S. Speary at wesley.speary@pittsburghpa.gov , Peter Harvey, peter.harvey@alleghenycounty.us , or Dan Vitek at dvitek@cjplaw.org. |
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Allegheny County Reentry Coalition |
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The Healthy Environments and Strong Bodies (HESB) working group of The Pittsburgh Study (http://thepittsburghstudy.org) is looking for community partners interested in joining our working group. The Pittsburgh Study is a community and academic partnered study to learn about child health and thriving and how to address root causes of inequity in our region. The HESB working group is focused on learning how the environment influences child health and thriving. Our ultimate goals are to develop interventions to reduce childhood and adolescent environmental and health inequities and to promote environmental justice. We seek community partners including parents, grandparents, caregivers, and expectant parents from neighborhoods across the county. Community partners will be full partners in this work. Time will be compensated and the opportunity can include training in child and adolescent health, environmental justice, and research methods. Please contact The Pittsburgh Study Healthy Environments and Strong Bodies Co-Lead Catherine Haggerty at haggerty@pitt.edu if you are interested in learning more about this opportunity. |
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Join the Network and Share Your Neighborhood and Topic Area Updates and Information! |
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Want to share your upcoming initiatives and events with our network? It's as easy as 1-2-3! Email your upcoming event, petition, report, survey, or job opportunity to info@ejgp.org Be sure to include any vital information such as deadlines, registration links, and/or eligibility criteria
3. Follow us @ejgppgh on Facebook and Instagram and don't forget to like and share our #EJGPtopics post to grow the network!
Looking for information related to a specific topic? Search the hashtags #ejgpfood #ejgphousing #ejgplivelihoods #ejgpenvironment
#ejgpeducation #ejgptransportation #ejgphealth #ejgpneighborhoods
Visit our website www.ejgp.org and leave your email to sign up for our newsletter! |
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