Env Justice Updates: resources, tenants association, etc

[Jessica Yorko]

Updates on Environmental Justice-related resources, services, projects and ideas.

 

RESOURCES FOR JUSTICE AND HEALTH

 

- ICHD offers Health Equity and Social Justice Workshops each month. The next session starts on July 11. Contact Doak Bloss for more information at dbl...@ingham.org.

 

- Organizing for Social Change Workshop - August 15-18 in Chicago

http://www.midwestacademy.com/organizing-social-change/all

 

- Coalitions and Partnerships in Community Health:

http://coalitionswork.com/resources/publications/coalitions_and_partnerships_in_community_health/

 

- Mid-Michigan Asthma Coalition set up a blog this week: http://mid-michiganasthmacoalition.blogspot.com/ and a google group at: http://groups.google.com/group/asthmahelp to help their coalition promote itself and manage its communications.

 

HOUSING

 

- The idea of convening/organizing a Mid-Michigan Tenants Association keeps coming up in conversations about Environmental Justice in Ingham County. I've started collected a list of folks interested in bringing it together and those with thoughts and ideas about how to go about it. If you are interested in this, please let me know. 517-272-4144 or jyo...@ingham.org.

 

- Michigan Energy Options is offering free Energy Fitness audits for low-income residents through June 30. For owners and renters. Call 517-337-0422 to learn more.

 

- Healthy Homes University offers free products and services for low-to-moderate income families who have children with asthma. For owners and renters. Call 517-335-8252 to learn more.

 

- ICHD/MDCH offer lead abatement programs. Contact Chris Nelson, Sanitarian II ph 517.887.4661.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

- Take the Community Bike Share Survey here: http://bikelansing.org/bikeshare/ to express how and if you might use such a system if it were available.

 

- Lansing Walkability/Sidewalk Audit Seeking Volunteers, at AARP office every Tuesday at 5:30, 309 N. Washington Square. For more info contact Jen McMillon at  (517) 292-3078 or email Jen at jen.m...@gmail.com,

 

- Check out the Mid-Michigan Active Transportation Coalition: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=194170788009  

and Walk and Bike Lansing: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=46125821558

 

- Power of We Consortium's Transportation Equity Workgroup is working closely with CATA and other partners to improve transportation options and equity in Mid-Michigan. For help getting around town, contact Cathleen Edgerely at 517-393-7433. Also check out the new bus route to Hawk Island Park: http://www.cata.org/SchedulesandRouteMaps/ServiceDirectory/Route18HawkIslandPark/tabid/553/Default.aspx

 

 

FOOD

 

- Double Up Food Bucks allows bridge card/ebt recipients to double their money at these Mid-Michigan Farmers' Markets: 

- Allen Street Farmers’ Market 1619 E Kalamazoo Street Lansing, MI Wednesdays 2:30 – 7pm

- Bath Farmers’ Market Couzens Park on Webster Road Bath, MI Thursdays 3 – 7pm

- East Lansing Farmers’ Market Valley Court Park, 1 block north of Grand River and Delta East Lansing, MI Sundays 10am – 2pm (starts July 10)

- Lansing City Market 325 City Market Drive Lansing, MI Tuesday-Friday 10am – 6pm; Saturday 9am – 5pm

- South Lansing Community Farmers Market 5614 Pleasant Grove Road Lansing, MI Saturdays 10am – 2pm

 

- The Garden Project was recently awarded funds by the Michigan Disability Rights Coalition and Michigan Developmental Disabilities Council to make community gardens and other community activities more inclusive of people of a wide rage of physical and developmental abilities. Stay tuned for details.

 

 

CLIMATE AND HEALTH

 

- Six community partners are surveying Ingham County residents through August 20 to learn about health impacts of the increasing number of extremely hot days in urban areas. More info coming online soon about this project.

 

 

AIR QUALITY

 

I really like how California gives residents information about air toxics:  http://www.arb.ca.gov/ch/communities/communities.htm   something for us to consider here.

 

 

Jessica

 

Jessica Yorko

Environmental Justice Coordinator

Ingham County Health Department

5303 South Cedar Street

P.O. Box 30161

Lansing, MI 48909-7661

Office: 517-272-4144

Cell: 517-214-5684

Email: jyo...@ingham.org

Environmental justice is equitable access to environmental benefits and protections across different race, income and other forms of difference. -------------------------------------------- Environmental justice is the right to a safe, healthy, productive, and sustainable environment, where "environment" is considered in its totality to include the ecological, physical, social, political, aesthetic, and economic environment. Environmental justice addresses the disproportionate environmental risks borne by low-income communities and communities of color resulting from poor housing stock, poor nutrition, lack of access to healthcare, unemployment, underemployment, and employment in the most hazardous jobs.  - National Association of County and City Health Officials