2020 Grants

Overcoming the obstacles of 2020, the organizers of Indigenous People’s Day in Arizona were able to hold a virtual event with musicians, speakers, youth empowerment, art demonstrations, a virtual day of movement, and a virtual movie screening. The celebration of the Indigenous People remains vital to understanding the obstacles the community at large faces. Often their homes and communities are subject to outsider pollution and struggle to find recognition and protection from federal institutions. Coming together as a community despite systemic neglect is one of the most essential actions indigenous communities can take as they push to dismantle settler-colonialism.

The Northern Alameda County (NAC) Group considers urban environmental issues in the cities of Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, Emeryville, Alameda, Piedmont, and San Leandro. These issues can include environmental justice, air quality, the tree canopy, public trust lands, creeks, the San Francisco Bay and water, pollution and toxics, parks and open space, bird and wildlife habitat, green buildings and infrastructure, zero waste, plastics, clean and renewable energy, electrification, affordable housing, green and public transit, and natural-resource protection.

One small community in rural Louisiana is not fighting to keep just one polluter out, but over a dozen. St. Johns Parish in Louisiana faces a Mount Everest with multiple peaks. Rise St. James, founded by Sharon Lavigne, is currently seeking to end the permit given to Formosa Plastics for a new plastics facility. This largely black and impoverished community already fights the adverse health effects that plastic facilities emit into the air and water. Speak with Ms. Lavigne for a few moments and she will show you her list of neighbors and friends currently battling cancer and names of those who lost their lives. Ms. Lavigne makes it clear that her fight is not over. She continues to plan canvassing, virtual and in person events, as well as community competitions seeking to educate the youth about the many issues they face in Louisiana. An objective that has become all the more paramount in light of the international Black Lives Matter protests during the summer of 2020.

A small group of Native people from Texas serve the community as the Society of Native Nations, aiming to advocate and protect native land, culture, and teachings. They offer a workshop, Return to the Earth & Mold It “Break free from petrochemical products” with the goal of educating the community about the threats of the petrochemical industry. When the pandemic began impacting their community in March of 2020, Society of Native Nations took an active role in protecting their wisdom keepers, elders, elderly, homeless, and those with underlying health conditions. They began collecting and disbursing fresh food, medical supplies, hygiene supplies and computers for those students lacking access to their education. Starting new programs and continuing to progress other campaigns such as their Food for the Unhoused “Zero waste” project and Pipelines to Plastic Project cements this Society’s strength in defending and preserving their community though they face more challenges than ever.

Wellington Water Watchers is a non-profit organization founded in 2007 dedicated to the protection, restoration and conservation of drinking water in Ontario. They are primarily run by volunteer citizens from southern Ontario who are committed to the protection of local water and to educating the public about threats to the watershed. 

Combating the climate emergency requires a diverse and broad approach. SoCal 350 Climate Action, a coalition of over 100 groups in Southern California, began their fight against climate change in 2013. They pull together advocacy, education, and legislative initiatives. In 2019, The Story of Stuff was able to help SoCal 350 Climate Action produce a 7-Part Plastics Plague series which has evolved into an EcoJustice Radio show.

The Chicano Indigenous Community for Culturally Conscious Advocacy and Action is a cooperative organization which provide effective, supportive resources to low income residents, focusing on Chicano indigenous reconnection, environmental justice, and sacred site protection