We've got a handful of exciting things to announce! Be sure to open the newsletter in your browser to make sure you can see the entire newsletter and stay up to date with our newest campaign, our upcoming meeting schedules, and a handful of ways to engage in the community!

From the EJGP Project Team Desk

EJGP's Cross-Community Network

October 2022 6-7pm ET

Zoom opens @ 5:45pm 

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.

In our first ever meeting we had representation from various neighborhoods across Allegheny County, including Dormont, Lincoln-Lemington, Duquesne, Sto-Rocks, East Liberty, Oakdale, North Braddock, and Wilkinsburg.

 We’d love to see this network grow and to learn how to better support and serve more neighborhoods! 

August Full Network Meeting

Thanks to all who were able to attend out full network meeting on August 9th. It was great to see some familiar faces as well as so many new faces! We hope to continue to see you all moving forward.

We hope you enjoyed it and we thank Brandi Fisher of Alliance for Police Accountability for sharing her expertise and passion with us. If you have any questions for her or want to learn more about how to get involved in their work, please feel free to reach out at: bfisher@apa-pgh.org

Notes from the event and resources shared can be found by clicking the button below.

2022 Full Network Meeting Schedule

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, 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!

Platform for an Equitable and Just Greater Pittsburgh 

As schools start to open their doors to students and members of our communities head back to the classroom, we’d like to uplift the following items from the EJGP Platform:

Education 4.7: Create a comprehensive strategy for assessing teacher and student needs.

Education 5.3: Access to quality early learning.

Campaign Updates

**New!**

Level Up: Greater Pittsburgh Pay Equity Campaign

EJGP is pleased to announce its support of the Level Up: Greater Pittsburgh Equity Pay campaign!

Spearheaded by the YWCA of Greater Pittsburgh, the Black Women's Policy Center (BWPC), and the Women and Girls Foundation, the Level Up campaign works to bring attention to the stark and compounding economic disparities felt by women of color hopes to grow support for equal pay for all.

"Despite being awarded the title of “America’s Most Livable City,” Pittsburgh and the surrounding region continue to struggle with pay equity, especially when it comes to women of color. Employers in the Greater Pittsburgh region have the power to close the gender pay gap."

​

The Level Up campaign will be asking companies, local businesses, and non-profits throughout the Pittsburgh region to take the Pay Equity Pledge to strengthen our regions economy, and building strength in our region's families.

Get the Lead Out

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.

For more information or if you’d like to get involved, please contact info@gettheleadout.org.

Fair Fares for a Full Recovery

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. 

In the Community

Sign on to the Food Justice Fund

Support the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council by signing on to their letter to Mayor Gainey and the City Council supporting the creation of a Pittsburgh Food Justice Fund. The fund will increase public investment in grassroots efforts to address food apartheid and support the development of a just, equitable, and sustainable food system.

The fund would utilize a simple, accessible application process, and would be open to anyone living or working in the City of Pittsburgh. There would be community oversight over the distribution of funds, and prioritization for projects that are led by and/or benefit people of color.

A range of projects could be supported through the Food Justice Fund, including:

• Expand urban farming

• Develop community markets and/or mobile markets

• Aggregate local farm fresh foods

• Reduce food waste

• Deliver cooking demonstrations and nutritional education

• Build capacity and provide technical support for farmers, business owners, and other food related organizations

Pittsburgh Food Policy Council Summer Celebration

Come join the Pittsburgh Food Policy Council for an end of summer celebration!

"This is an opportunity to meet the Pittsburgh Food Equity Ambassadors, connect with the PFPC community, and celebrate our successes together. Food will be provided, and all our welcome to attend."

BWPC's Advocacy Training Virtual Bootcamp

Starting September, the BWPC is hosting its "Amplify Your Voice Advocacy Training Bootcamp" . The bootcamp will require a 6-week commitment from the cohort members, with the dates ranging from September 10th to October 15th from 11AM-2PM. 

"Our bootcamps are designed to teach Black women in the community how to advocate for themselves and the things that they believe in most, while also feeling comfortable enough to tell their stories as authentically as possible. We will have a list packed full of guest speakers, and are offering a $250 stipend as well as brunch/dinner on us pending completion."

Protect Inclusionary Zoning and Demand Affordable Housing for All

"No matter what neighborhood we live in, we all want the same thing: a safe, secure place to call home. Yet here in our "most livable city," a lack of affordable housing is reaching crisis levels,  pushing low-income families - particularly Black families - from their communities, farther from access to food, transit, health care, neighborhood and family support systems, and good jobs. Pittsburgh lost 10,660 Black residents between 2010 and 2020, a 13.4% decline. Corporate developers have rigged the rules to jack up prices, build only for the wealthiest few, and hoard even more profits for themselves." 

Win-Win Partnerships to Prevent Evictions: Mediation Programs and Housing Authorities

September 8, 2011 (3:00-4:00 PM ET); Webinar

Eviction does not have to be the sole option for residents of public housing or with housing subsidies when they are unable to meet the terms of the lease. Join us for a special case study into the partnership between Just Mediation Pittsburgh and the Allegheny County Housing Authority as they work to resolve resident crisis before it leads to an eviction filing.  

Mediation is an ideal intervention for landlord tenant disputes. Mediation allows for both sides to come to the table, gives space to identify the root of the conflict, and provides equal agency to landlord and tenant to find a solution that works for both. This is critically important for housing authorities who can be some of the largest landlords in town working with the most vulnerable tenants.

TAMV August Wellness Sessions

Human Rights Cookout & Potluck

In the News

In Support of Democracy: What Nonprofits Can Do

As our political climate continues to heat up, nonprofits continue to play a critical role in supporting a democracy where every voice is heard and every vote gets counted. In Pennsylvania, nonprofits employ 15% of the Commonwealth’s workforce – over 807,000 people. If we come together around a common cause – such as voter engagement – we will transform our collective future.

Jefferson Votes Initiative

Jefferson Votes is a nonpartisan initiative of the Jefferson Regional Foundation and the 100+ member strong, Jefferson Community Collaborative. This voter engagement initiative is designed and led by the Collaborative’s very own Civic and Policy Engagement Action Team and Voter Engagement Task Force. The objective of the Jefferson Votes initiative is to inspire Jefferson area residents to participate in the election process.

Get Involved!

Join the Network and Share Your Neighborhood and Topic Area Updates and Information!

Want to share your upcoming initiatives and events with our network? It's as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Email your upcoming event, petition, report, survey, or job opportunity to info@ejgp.org

2. 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 
 
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