For as long as most can remember, many people in our region have had to sacrifice their health for a job. For the past decade the coal industry has been in decline, yet many of our elected officials have failed to provide any leadership to diversify and create a transition plan for our local economies. It is clear that no one is going to come in and ensure our communities do not become ghost towns in the next decade, but we all have the power to work together and ensure that our kids have a healthy environment, good schools, and many economic options that will help them to stay in their hometowns.
"I am proud to be part of an organization that is not only working to identify the root causes of economic inequality, but is also willing to facilitate the difficult conversations we must have in order to achieve equity in our community." ~ Keith Fullerton
Our Economic Justice Work
All of our campaigns have begun by community members bringing an issue to our attention and working with them to build a strategic plan to stop impacts onto people and the environment.
Greene County Economic Diversification
Over the past 4 years, our team has had over 2,000 conversations with residents about their economic needs. We have helped in the formation of a Steering Committee for Greene County to drive the process to develop an economic diversification plan for the county. This plan will take a holistic approach to address the unique challenges and build on economic opportunities in the county. The plan will lay out the community’s vision and will position stakeholders to apply for funding to carry out recommendations from the plan.
STAFF LEAD: Nick Hood
Advocacy for state & federal policy
The communities in southwestern Pennsylvania do not have the resources required to fund a just economic transition. Therefore, CCJ advocates for the state and federal government to invest in our communities.
STAFF LEAD: Ethan Story
Harm Reduction
Washington and Greene County have been impacted significantly by the opioid epidemic and we know that lack of economic options do not help. Harm reduction is a set of practical strategies and ideas aimed at reducing negative consequences associated with drug use. This meets people where they are and can save many lives in our communities. We are engaging with partners in the two counties to improve policies that protect people’s lives.
STAFF LEAD: Heaven Sensky
Get CCJ Updates on Economic Justice
Sign up for our email list to receive updates on Economic Justice issues, ways for you to take action, and alerts for upcoming events. When signing up, you'll be able to select what you want information about, as well as how you like to be contacted. We typically don't send more than 1-2 emails a week and strategically target by geography and topics you are interested in, so you'll only get what is relevant to you. After signing up, you'll receive an email confirmation.