In honor of our recent trip to California I decided to write about a young man from Oakland that we read about in Newsweek. After moving to Oakland from another part of California, Juan Hernandez discovered that his asthma had gotten much worse. He found out during a class project that there was a real reason for his worsening asthma…High levels of pollution, including lead & nickel. Rather than just dealing with it, he decided to do something about it. With the help of the Rose Foundation for Communities and Global Community Monitor, Hernandez and his classmates tested the air and were able to hold a news conference announcing their discoveries. They were able to get attention and start making improvements in their area. With school starting soon, we just wanted to show an example of how you can make a difference. It doesn’t matter how old you are…16 or 90…you can be responsible for change!Here is a little more info about the organizations that helped Juan and his classmates…
Global Community Monitor:
Global Community Monitor (GCM) is an environmental justice and human rights non profit that empowers industrial communities to recreate a clean healthy and truly sustainable environment.
GCM was created to provide hands-on tools for impacted communities to monitor their own neighborhoods. Based on community knowledge and new data, industrial neighbor can increase their power to reduce health threats on their own terms.
Rose Foundation for Communities:
The Rose Foundation's Mission
Fostering community and environmental stewardship.
Improving communications between businesses and their neighbors.
Recognizing individual responsibility for the environmental consequences of personal actions.
Forging positive links between environmental stewardship and sustainable job creation.
Harnessing economic power to leverage environmental sustainability.
Instilling respect for the inalienable rights protected by our nation’s constitution and the essential human rights to clean air, clean water and individual dignity.
Just remember, you don't have to wait for someone else to change things...you can get out there and make a difference too!
Try Change is making a difference in our community too! Remember, 10% of all proceeds go to Volunteers of America Chesapeake. To sign up for our newsletter to find out about the next Try Change community events click here.
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