On October 19, EHC invites you to support community efforts preserving neighborhood character, reducing air pollution and combating displacement in Barrio Logan.

Please join us for the BarrioLive! Tour - our environmental justice tour of Barrio Logan.

Together, we'll explore the many victories and challenges in the community, including:

• The shutdown of Master Plating
• The creation of the Chicano community herb garden and mural
• The community plan update, and much more.

Can't make it to the tour? Join us at Border X Brewing from 5:30 - 7 p.m. to enjoy wine, beer and yummy vegetarian tacos for a suggested contribution of $10.

This is an intimate tour that few people get to experience. Please reserve your seat today by clicking here or contacting Giuliana at 619-773-2132 or Esta dirección de correo electrónico está siendo protegida contra los robots de spam. Necesita tener JavaScript habilitado para poder verlo..

Freeways can wait - people can't. Sign here to demand transportation justice, and read more below.

San Diego lags behind most major regions in California for an accessible, affordable and comprehensive transportation system. San Diego’s Transportation Planning Agency – SANDAG – has ignored the demands of the public for an effective system. SANDAG needs to be reformed.

Sign this petition to tell your legislator to support AB 805 (Gonzalez-Fletcher) to authorize the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) and the North County Transit Agency to raise revenue to create an equitable system that achieves:

• Transportation justice: Investments in transit, bicycling, and pedestrian infrastructure in San Diego’s most impacted neighborhoods first.
• Democracy: Voting authority based on population size to ensure fair representation.
• Reduced air pollution and climate change resilience: Protect public health and the environment from toxic air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
• Accessibility: Better and more abundant transportation options and increased affordability give community member's greater access to jobs, housing and services.

Click here to learn more about AB 805 and how it make our communities healthier and safer places to live, work and play.

For many years, Maria Martinez has worked with EHC to bring environmental justice to her community of Barrio Logan. Now, her son Francisco has joined her. He recently spoke with KPBS about how his mother has inspired him with her commitment to the right of all people to live in a safe and healthy neighborhood. 

A 19-year old student at San Diego State University, Francisco joined EHC to advocate for a sustainable expansion of the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal in Barrio Logan.  

"Environmental justice, to me, means communities of all backgrounds regardless of status having access to clean air, clean water, fresh produce, open spaces, that will result in healthy families, thriving communities and ultimately a better world," Francisco told KPBS. 

On April 20, our annual awards celebration, Leaders United for Justice, recognized the everyday advocates making our communities better places to live, work and play.

This year, we forgot the seated dinner party of the past. Instead, we treated guests to an evening of outdoor mingling, social media sharing, live music, inspiring photo displays and, most importantly, the stories of people leading our neighborhoods toward a healthier future.

Elected officials and community leaders spent the night celebrating the progress of our leadership development program, SALTA, and helping us award three icons of environmental justice.

• Keynote Speaker and Spirit of Justice Award: Dolores Huerta
  • As a civil rights activist and co-founder of the National Farm Workers Association, Huerta helped champion the rights of workers in agricultural fields. Her legendary work continues to empower communities to demand equality and social justice.
• Environmental Justice Champion Award: Georgette Gomez
  • San Diego City Councilwoman Georgette Gomez grew up in Barrio Logan, where environmental injustices shaped her future in advocacy. Prior to her election to City Council, Gomez served as EHC’s associate director for policy where she spearheaded the effort for a new community plan for Barrio Logan and fought for climate justice.
• Leadership Empowerment Award: Beatriz Barraza
  • Barraza was instrumental in developing the “promotora” model for peer-to-peer community health promotion, which EHC adopted for SALTA. Twenty years later, SALTA has trained more than 2,500 community members to become leaders for environmental justice in neighborhoods around the world.

Now that the lights have dimmed on a spectacular evening, we want to say thank you. Thank you to every guest who attended and shouted “sí se puede” with us in unison. Thank you to each sponsor for heartfelt dedication to growing leaders from the ground up. Thank you every person who now proudly wears "I am EJ" or "Yo Soy EJ" pins. Thank you to those who could not attend to the event, but still want to make a donation to continue this important work.

Want to relive the celebration? Us too. Visit us on Facebook to see more photos from the evening.

From our social justice awardees, our 2,500 SALTA graduates, our community members and our team at EHC – thank you and see you next year.

If I had to summarize the SALTA 20-Year Reunion in three words, I would say empowered, united and ready.

The energy at the reunion was powerful. I saw some old and some new SALTA graduates from so many different pockets of our communities. Every person felt engaged in what SALTA has taught us and wanted to share how it helped each of us to develop the leadership tools and refine the qualities we already possessed to become effective leaders. 

I'm of the opinion that SALTA doesn't make leaders --  instead, it helps those of us that are leaders realize what we have within us to create change. It teaches us how to take the appropriate action and gives us the platform to get started. 

Because of SALTA, I feel empowered to lead my community of City Heights toward a happier, healthier and safer future. In doing so, I know I'm not alone, and others like me walk beside me in the fight for environmental justice.

Mahalo, 

Roddy Jerome

City Heights Resident

EHC Board Member