In keeping with our commitment to Civic Duty and Social Awareness, NYSCSS is pleased to announce our fundraiser opportunity for the 2023 NYSCSS Convention

The story of the Center for Health, Environment & Justice started with Lois Gibbs in Niagara Falls, N.Y. in 1978. Lois was struggling to raise a family that included two children suffering from a variety of rare illnesses. As she soon realized, they weren’t the only ones. Nearly every family in the now-infamous Love Canal neighborhood was facing its own medical nightmare. Something was very wrong.

CHEJ has a long history of being at the forefront of national environmental initiatives. Known to many as the Mother of the Superfund, Lois’ experience at Love Canal woke up the nation to the seriousness of chemical pollution and led to the passage of federal legislation to fund the cleanup of similarly contaminated communities.

Today, CHEJ continues to serve as a lifeline to local organizations to confront immediate threats to their families and improve the public’s awareness of slipshod and dangerous industry practices. We are working as well to build clean, green and healthy communities—centers of opportunity with good schools, affordable medical care, accessible public transportation, and plenty of livable wage jobs. This comprehensive vision is the culmination of our decades of work—continuing to fight against local environmental dangers while also building healthy, flourishing communities.

Copyright New York State Council for the Social Studies