Social & Environmental Justice
VIP advocates for:
- Clean Air: Reduce emissions of harmful air pollutants, especially in disadvantaged communities
- Pesticide Reduction: Reduce the use of, and exposure to, harmful pesticides near schools and in rural, disadvantaged communities
- Clean Drinking Water: Reduce contamination and expand access to safe drinking water for all community members
- Climate Justice: Implement sustainable local land use and development practices that decrease greenhouse gas emissions, increase climate resiliency, and facilitates a just transition to clean energy and a green economy
- Zero Waste: Ban trash incineration and eliminate single-use plastics while increasing recycling, composting, reuse, refill, repair, item sharing, and other sustainable practices
- Police Accountability: Provide “Know Your Rights” information to community members and increase community oversight of local law enforcement agencies to eliminate abuse, profiling, and harassment
- Tenant’s Rights: Provide information to tenants on their rights, expose slumlord practices, and increase affordable housing in disadvantaged communities
Outreach, Networking, and Solidarity:
- Disadvantaged and Vulnerable Communities: VIP strives to reach-out to low-income and working class communities, communities of color, immigrants, Spanish-speakers, LGBTQ community, religious minorities, indigenous communities, youth, elders, people with disabilities, houseless community, and many others who carry the extra burdens of our society
- Youth Outreach and Education: VIP works to provide our local young people with productive recreational activities as well as socially and culturally relevant educational workshops and information
- Representatives and Officials: VIP maintains contact with elected representatives and relevant agency officials in order to efficiently advocate on behalf of our local disadvantaged communities
- Regional and Statewide Coalitions: VIP is a proud member of the California Environmental Justice Coalition (CEJC), Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ), Stanislaus Sustainable Communities Coalition (SSCC), Central California Environmental Justice Network (CCEJN), Californians for Pesticide Reform (CPR), Break Free From Plastic Movement (BFFP), and California Cleaner Freight Coalition (CCFC)