Community Organizing
In the Central Valley, riverside communities continue to bear the brunt of climate change and impacts of historic disinvestment. They are disproportionately burdened with environmental injustices that diminish quality of life and exacerbate socioeconomic disparities. Simply stated, where you live determines how long you live. This is due to air quality, access, and infrastructure issues. Riverside communities have been all but forgotten in public planning processes. We are working collaboratively with community leaders, stakeholders, and local government to change that narrative.
Over the past ten years, our strategies for engaging residents have adapted, but our goal has remained the same: to improve the health and safety of the river and riverside parks for people and the environment. We do this through educating, organizing, training and mobilizing community members to take an active role in addressing environmental injustices that affect their health, well-being, and quality of life.
Some recent victories we’ve achieved with our partners include:
Developed an Airport Neighborhood (AN) Urban Greening Plan, which outlines plans to improve the AN’s green infrastructure and access to outdoor spaces. Partners include: Stanislaus County and AN residents
Developed the Safe Routes to School initiatives and infrastructure improvements such as the installation of stop signs and repainting of crosswalks. As a result of the success of this program in the Airport Neighborhood, the Modesto City School District is implementing Safe Routes policies in all elementary schools throughout the district, which will make it safer for children to walk to and from school. Partners include: Orville Wright Elementary School, Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton and Stanislaus County Health Services Agency.
After many years of successful community organizing supported by TRT and Orville Wright Elementary School, Stanislaus County received a multi-million dollar Active Transportation Program infrastructure grant that will install sidewalks, bicycle paths, and other amenities, so that residents can safely walk, bike, and travel in their neighborhood.
Modesto General Plan
Through outreach, capacity building, and leadership training, we are providing riverside communities with the resources and know-how to effectively engage in the revision of Modesto’s General Plan, an opportunity that only comes around every 25-30 years. This “blueprint for future growth” will shape investments in the community for the next several decades, directly impacting the families and individuals who will have to live with the decisions made during this process.
Adopt-Our-River/ Operation 9-2-99
The Adopt-Our-River Program was founded to engage volunteers and local businesses and organizations in the maintenance, beautification, and preservation of the sections of the Tuolumne River which run right through the heart of our community.
