Arise for Social Justice

At A Glance

Location: 

Springfield, Massachusetts

Primary Issue Area:

  • Environmental Health
  • Climate Change & Energy

Active since:

2009

Grants Received In:

  • 2011
  • 2010
  • 2009

Core volunteers:

50

Community Size:

153,000

Our Purpose

To educate, organize and unite low-income people and people on entitlement programs to know what our rights are, to stand up for those rights and achieve them; to educate low-income people to be involved in the electoral process, to educate the community at large as to its common interest in social justice for low-income people; and to organize low-income people to fight oppression in all its manifestations.

Summary of Projects

Arise received a grant in 2011 to continue the work done over the last year to: stop a biomass plant from being built in our community and continue to promote awareness of our rights as an environmental justice community; AND to organize around other sources of air pollution such as diesel emissions.

Arise for Social Justice received a grant in 2010 for volunteer and coordinator stipends and outreach materials to support the effort to halt construction of the Palmer Renewable Energy's proposed biomass plant.

Arise for Social Justice received a grant in 2009 to help poor people understand they can reclaim much of their authority over the food they eat, the money they spend, and how they connect with the earth by 1) creating a buyers' club/food coop, 2) involving poor people in community or container gardening, and 3) creating a booklet of healthy and "green" thrift concepts and tips that will come from neighborhood potlucks and discussion and interviews with elders, and 4) holding community gatherings to share food and knowledge about growing, health and simple living.