Environmental Justice Fund Awards: Largest Amount Ever Granted
The City of Seattle’s Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) recently announced $1,000,000 will be awarded through the Environmental Justice Fund (EJ Fund) to 17 community-led projects, and an additional $271,557 will be awarded through the Duwamish River Opportunity Fund (DROF) to eight projects that benefit the health and quality of life of Duwamish Valley residents.
Congratulations to our partners who received funds!
Duwamish Valley Sustainability Association (DVSA) received two grants, for $70,000 and $39,087. DVSA empowers communities in issues related to quality of life, social justice, health, and education. Funding will focus on organic waste reduction and recycling. DVSA seeks to convert 25 tons of local food waste annually into 28,000 gallons of “probiotic plant food” through anaerobic digestion. This funding will primarily support staff time and stipends for four youth who will play a leadership role in this project that aims to identify the most effective uses of probiotic plant food while promoting curriculum learning on circular economy and resource recovery. It will also expand the efforts of “Juntos Podemos Cuidar Nuestro Rio Duwamish” (Together We Care for Our Duwamish River) in partnership with Puget Soundkeeper Alliance and the Port of Seattle to train youth of the Duwamish Valley as watershed managers. Youth will be trained to monitor stormwater pollution in the Lower Duwamish Watershed and educate the Duwamish Valley community on these issues, identify sites of concern and learn how to identify, advocate for, and action possible solutions.
Restaurant 2 Garden received $90,000. They are dedicated to reducing restaurant food waste in the Chinatown International District (CID). Building on the success of their community-based composting pilot project, this project would expand efforts to serve the CID and Little Saigon at the neighborhood scale by increasing compost production, restaurant outreach, and educational services related to composting. This is part of the group’s vision to deepen relationships with each other, the earth, and create a green circular economy within frontline communities.
Windz of Change Alliance received $90,000. This project seeks to strengthen Indigenous Peoples’ presence through stewardship of urban forests. Activities will focus on fostering relationships in West Seattle to support conservation of old growth Elder trees via educational workshops with a goal to create tribal ecological teaching tools on climate change and to develop solutions for issues of urban environmental injustice and inequality. Sample workshops include, “Teachings of Our Tree Elders” to be hosted at Camp Long, Coast Salish carver workshops and art installations, and identifying old growth trees in West Seattle and Longfellow Creek.
Concord International Elementary School received $37,870. This will fund their PTA for six months to facilitate community events and support teachers and students via field trips and extra curriculum opportunities.
Meet all the grantees here.