Hispanic Heritage Month
The Long Beach Latino Civic Association
uses a community impact grant from the DEC
Office of Environmental Justice to provide
education about floatables on Long Island.
Since the inception of the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation 51 years ago, its mission to protect, sustain, and improve our environment is a cause that has united all cultures and heritages. Environmental stewardship is integral to many cultures, and the pursuit of ensuring a clean, healthy environment now and into the future remains a goal of our agency on a professional and personal level.
DEC is proud to observe Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15 in honor of the history, culture, and influence of past generations of people of Hispanic origin. The observance started in 1968 under President Lyndon B. Johnson's administration as a celebration called Hispanic Heritage Week. On August 17, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law extending this celebration into a month-long event, designating September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month.
DEC partners with community organizations across New York State that are serving Hispanic populations and addressing environmental issues head-on. These organizations recognize the unique challenges of their communities, and through funding provided by DEC's Office of Environmental Justice, are working to make our neighborhoods better for everyone. We are highlighting just a few of the organizations that are doing the work and making a difference.
Proclamation from Gov. Kathy Hochul (PDF).
Long Beach Latino Civic Association
https://www.lblatinocivic.org/
The Long Beach Latino Civic Association (LBLCA) is an organization that seeks to empower the Latino population of Long Beach, Long Island, to advocate for itself, while also embracing both the American experience and distinct Latino cultures. This organization promotes environmental justice, cultural awareness, and civic participation while addressing critical issues within the areas of education, health, environmental conservation, and socioeconomic development.
LBLCA received a $100,000 Community Impact Grant from DEC in 2018 for their Project BAY AREA. The aim of this project was to improve and protect local waterways and to educate local residents on the negative effects of plastic floatables, cigarette butts, and debris. This was achieved through targeted public outreach on the risks of floatables, recommendations for alternative actions to alleviate plastic in waterways, and development of hands-on stewardship projects.
Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
Community volunteers in the South Bronx
work with Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice
in a garden funded by a community impact
grant from DEC's Office of Environmental Justice.
Youth Ministries for Peace and Justice (YMPJ) is a not-for-profit organization located in the South Bronx. The organization focuses on providing assistance to low-income immigrant communities in need of legal and social services. It also focuses on environmental stewardship, specifically education campaigns along the Bronx River.
YMPJ was a recipient of a 2018 Community Impact Grant for their Air, Water & Food Vulnerability Project. The organization used the $100,000 award to equip local youth leaders and community members with the skills necessary to address environmental issues in their community. The program trained youth leaders to collect data and mobilize residents on issues of air quality, water quality, and food vulnerability in New York City District 9 in the South Bronx. The goal of the project was to train 60 youth organizers from this community to conduct outreach and community education campaigns with 50,000 Bronx residents over the three-year period.
UPROSE
UPROSE is an intergenerational, multiracial, nationally recognized community organization that promotes sustainability and resiliency in the Sunset Park neighborhood through community organizing, education, indigenous and youth leadership development, and cultural/artistic expression. Established in 1966, UPROSE is Brooklyn's oldest Latino community-based organization. It has continued to advocate for meaningful community engagement, participatory community planning practices, and sustainable development with justice and governmental accountability.
In 2018, UPROSE received a DEC Community Impact Grant for their Sunset Park Regenerative Energy Education Project (REEP). The $50,000 grant was used to increase awareness and support for regenerative energy and community ownership among residents, businesses, and stakeholders across Sunset Park, and to build a base of prospective subscribers who will participate in community-owned solar installations.
