Community Health Advocates consult with local health care systems to advance health equity.  Within our #OneContraCosta Coalition, the lead base building organization, Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) engages its members to advocate for immigrants who remain uninsured. You can also join the Coalition and support efforts to ensure all Contra Costa residents have access to health care regardless of immigration status.

Join parent leaders who are actively involved in school district advocacy on our Schools & Neighborhoods Action Team advocating that education equity through the Local Control Funding Formula which is state funding allocated to local districts to close academic equity gaps for low-income, English Language Learners, foster care, and homeless youth. Parent leaders are also working on Positive School Climate goals to increase socio-emotional services for youth, support restorative justice practices, and ultimately stop the School to Prison Pipeline.

Resident leaders have been actively engaged as YPlan consultants with the City of Richmond on issues such as workforce development, transportation, and engagement of residents in community development projects designed to ensure that residents are not pushed out of their neighborhoods during community development projects. Residents are also encouraged to join us in our work with the City of Richmond’s Government Alliance for Racial Equity (GARE) which provides a pathway for jurisdictions to begin racial equity work. If you live in North Richmond (NR), join the NR Resident Leadership Team as they advocate with the County on the redevelopment of their neighborhood to ensure that their Quality of Life recommendations are realized in partnership with County planners and future developers and businesses.

We also have sponsored residents in attending Urban Habitat’s Boards and Commissions Leadership Institute (BCLI) program where individuals learn about race and class analysis related to land use, gentrification and anti-displacement, equitable development, transportation & housing justice.  Urban Habitat, based in Oakland, identifies, trains, places and supports low-income people and people of color for priority boards and commissions in the Bay Area.

Finally, right here in Richmond, our partner Fierce Advocates provides the Community Educational Leadership Institute (CELI) builds a powerful and highly engaged network of parent leaders and advocates to increase accountability at the local and regional levels by bringing race, class, and social equity to the forefront of education and health policy decisions on boards, commissions, and committees.

Through engaging training sessions, CELI fellows build political and technical knowledge, as well as skills for effective public service and for practicing self-care. Guest speakers from across the educational, health, wellness and equity sectors expose fellows to diverse experiences and perspectives. For more information, go to CELI’s webpage.