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Grant Recipients List for the 4th Quarter, 20069to5 Atlanta Working Women $10,000 - Family Flexible Policies for Low-Wage WomenAtlanta, GA Atlanta 9to5 is a local, grassroots, chapter of 9to5, National Association of Working Women. They combine advocacy, public education, civic engagement, grassroots organizing, policy campaigns and leadership development to improve the workplace for women and strengthen the ability of low-income women in Atlanta to win economic justice. Continued funding was provided in support the Family Flexible Policies for Low-Wage Women campaign, which focuses on a set of policies at the corporate, state, and national level that will strengthen families and communities by ensuring that all working families have job-protected leave and allows them to balance responsibilities at home and on the job. Centro Laboral de Graton (CLG) $15,000 - General Support Graton, CA CLG is a grassroots, volunteer-led organization working to create a worker center where day laborers can enlist in a hiring process that is fair and dignified for themselves, their employers, and the community. The Center seeks to improve conditions for day laborers, Graton, and the surrounding communities by identifying and nurturing leadership among day laborers and community volunteers, and by creating and supporting programs that meet the priority needs of day laborers. Citizens For Safe Water Around Badger (CSWAB) $7,500 - General support Merrimac, WI For more than 16 years, CSWAB has worked to mobilize communities near the closing 7,354-acre Badger Army Ammunition Plant in support of a sustainable future that will protect and restore the integrity of soil, water, air, and biological diversity and to demand long term solutions to military toxins in the environment. Duwamish River Cleanup Coalition $15,000 - General Support Seattle, WA DRCC is an alliance of community, tribal and environmental activists working to ensure that the cleanup of Seattle’s Duwamish River — a federal Superfund Site — is done right, the first time. Their goal is to ensure that the community — not the polluting corporations — dictate the terms of the river’s cleanup. Their efforts are creating a national model as they strive to fundamentally change the relationship between government, big business and a traditionally disenfranchised citizenry in toxic cleanup actions. Continued support was provided to add a Spanish language/bilingual community advocate to the team and to activate a field monitoring program of local residents to watchdog cleanup activities taking place. Hope Street Youth Development $15,000 - Students United Wichita, KS HSYD engages young people in opportunities where they gain leadership skills and build power in order to reach their full potential and contribute to positive social change. Funding was provided in support of Students United, HSYD’s youth organizing project, which utilizes a school chapter based approach to organizing students throughout the city. Jane Addams Senior Caucus $10,000 - Back Home Project Chicago, IL JASC is a grassroots organization of Chicago area older adults organizing to build relationships, develop leaders, educate people and create the power necessary for older adults to play a central role in determining their quality of life. Continued funding was provided in support of the Back Home Project, organizing to improve the homecare system in Illinois, to help healthy seniors move out of nursing homes, to preserve and increase affordable housing, and combat isolation through social services. Just Food $10,000 - Community Supported Agriculture in New York City (CSA in NYC) New York, NY Just Food fosters new marketing and food growing opportunities that address the needs of regional family farms, New York City urban gardeners, and NYC neighborhoods. They help underserved NYC communities gain access to fresh, local and affordable food through direct market relationships with regional farmers. Funding was provided in support of and to strengthen the low-income outreach component of the CSA is NYC program, which assists communities in the start-up and maintenance of Community Supported Agriculture sites. Padres Unidos $15,000 - General Support Denver, CO With roots in the struggle for educational justice, Padres Unidos has evolved into a multi-issue grassroots community organization that organizes primarily in the Latino community to foster equality and justice in education, for youth, immigrant rights, and health care. Continued funding was provided in support of the Freedom to Learn campaign, which empowers Latino youth to work together with adults to achieve comprehensive educational reform in key areas of instructional quality, curriculum, discipline, and access to higher education. The intergenerational grassroots organizing methods developed in educational reform are used in other initiatives addressing healthcare and immigration reform. People Organized for Westside Renewal (POWER) $12,500 - General Support Santa Monica, CA POWER is a multi-issue, grassroots, community organization that works in low-income communities on Los Angeles’ Westside. Funding was provided in support of their work to create more affordable housing by organizing local residents to who work to enforce existing inclusionary zoning (IZ) laws, to create new IZ policies and to preserve existing affordable housing by preventing owners from opting out of federal subsidies. POWER is also organizing at 10 LAUSD public schools and has launched campaigns to improve food quality, food handling, after-school programs and safe school policies at the schools. People Organized to Win Employment Rights (POWER) $12,000 - Bayview Economic Justice Program San Francisco, CA POWER is a grassroots organization led by and for low-income families and workers to change the economic and social systems that oppress and exploit them. Funding was provided in support of the Bayview Economic Justice Program, which improves the ability of low-income residents to engage in and monitor neighborhood development initiatives in order to advocate for long-term opportunities for affordable housing, living wage jobs and community services. South Hero Land Trust $10,000 - South Hero Land Trust Farm Initiative South Hero, VT SHLT is dedicated to protecting the farmland, woodland, and open spaces which help give South Hero its quality of life. They also engage in outreach initiatives that integrate natural and agricultural resources into community life. Funding was provided in support of the SHLT Farm Initiative which is working to raise the visibility and viability of agriculture in South Hero and Champlain Islands through farm to consumer buying guides, school education programs, agricultural education theme days at the farmers market and new initiatives. United Workers Association (UWA) $15,000 - General Support Baltimore, MD The UWA is a worker-run organization of low wage workers who are organizing for better wages and working conditions among the day laborer community. Organizing strategies include a corporate accountability campaign against highly visible corporations that utilize day laborers, a worker-owned business initiative called United Workers Cooperative, and weekly political education sessions and leadership development work. Continued general support funding was provided. Vermont Interfaith Action $15,000 - General Support Burlington, VT VIA is a faith-based, grassroots civic organization working to engage citizens through leadership development, training and relationship building. Continued funding was provided in support of their work for more affordable housing in Burlington and Chittenden County. VOZ: Workers’ Rights Education Project $15,000 - General Support Portland, OR VOZ is a worker-led organization that organizes low-wage immigrant day laborers in Portland to improve their working and living conditions. VOZ’s programs are based on the principles of popular education, whereby workers empower themselves through educational activities. Continued funding was provided for general support organizing. Western Colorado Congress $10,000 - Ensuring Responsible Energy Development in Western Colorado Grand Junction, CO WCC is a chapter-based grassroots organization dedicated to challenging injustice by organizing people to increase their power over decisions that affect their lives. Funding was provided in support of their work ensuring responsible energy development in Western Colorado, where natural gas drilling has reached record levels and where exploration of oil shale development has been put on the fast track. Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence (CPHV) $1,000 - Unity Project Portland, ME CPHV will provide school-based anti-bias, anti-harassment training to 3,000 socially influential (both positive and negative) Maine students who will in turn interrupt bias language and harassment among their 5,000 peers. |