ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A city nonprofit organization was awarded $50,000 as part of a $600,000 statewide effort to increase environmental engagement within historically marginalized and underserved communities.
“Environmental Justice is a core part of DEP’s mission, and this program will not just help these organizations but also the people in the communities they support,” said Jessica Shirley, acting secretary of the state Department of Environmental Protection, in a Wednesday news release. “At DEP, we know that proactive, transparent outreach is key to empowering communities and ensuring that people have a voice in the process.”
The Unidos Foundation, 2030 Tilghman St., was one of 12 community organizations across Pennsylvania to receive the grant, awarded through the Pennsylvania Engaging New Voices on Environmental Justice program.
The goal of the grant, funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Government-To-Government grant, is to ensure that marginalized and underserved communities have access to information and resources about environmental protection, DEP permits, regulations and grant opportunities.
LehighValleyNews.com has reached out to Unidos for comment.
We’re energized at the opportunity to bring new voices to the environmental justice conversation.Fernando Treviño, DEP special deputy secretary for the Office of Environmental Justice.
“We’re excited to forge, rebuild, and foster relationships with stakeholders and communities across Pennsylvania,” said Fernando Treviño, DEP special deputy secretary for the Office of Environmental Justice. “We’re energized at the opportunity to bring new voices to the environmental justice conversation.
“Grant recipients representing rural and urban areas and people of diverse backgrounds and lived experiences will have the opportunity to share expertise and gain the support of a statewide network of organizations engaged in environmental justice.”
Organizations can use the funding for community education, outreach, engagement and capacity-building, with flexibility to meet the specific needs of the communities they serve, according to the release.
Environmental Justice Areas are those census tracts in which 20% or more people live at or below the federal poverty line, and/or 30% or more identify as a non-white minority, based on data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the federal guidelines.
Of the Lehigh Valley’s major cities, Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton all have tracts categorized as an Environmental Justice Area, according to PennEnviroScreen, the state’s mapping and screening tool.
