Healthy Richmond is composed of a Network of Resident Leaders (Youth & Adults), Community Based Organizations, Base Builders and Systems leaders, dedicated to identifying resources, reducing obstacles and building power to change systems for our community to thrive.
We engage residents of our community and infuse new leadership into our policy advocacy campaigns to disrupt institutional racism and collectively build toward greater racial equity. Healthy Richmond's Action teams meet monthly as a large group. During each month’s action team, we develop shared agreements that drive local campaigns, policy advocacy discussions, and restorative actions.
We inspire collective efforts between Residents and Hub Partners to turn our community's racial equity priorities into reality. Here are the four priority areas we are working on right now in Richmond:
Health For All
We are adamant about getting every resident "access to quality healthcare and services" by advocating for system transformation. Partners and resident leaders advocate for the expansion of health services for all residents of Contra Costa, regardless of immigration status, and reduction of barriers to access care across systems. Our #OneContraContraCosta Coalition campaign has successfully worked to gain the support of county residents, local organizations, and key decision-makers in expanding health coverage for those who remain uninsured.
Education Equity
Healthy Richmond stands for equity by closing gaps in educational success and lifting youth and parent priorities for how funds in the state's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF) specifically effect and are spent on homeless and foster, low-income, English language learner and special education students in our local district.
We engage and lead community discussions with a host of parents, students, teachers, and advocates in adopting a district Resolution for Positive School Climate. These discussions, which began initially about willful defiance suspensions, evolved into a larger discussion about student rights, health and restorative justice, and the role of police and other security measures on campus. We focus on how the district will implement the Resolution.
We are part of the IYC The Invest in Youth Coalition, a citywide coalition of youth, individuals, community-based organizations and funders working to make Richmond a youth, young adult and family-friendly city. This Coalition aims to: Identify and agree on priorities for youth and young adults in Richmond; Secure a fund that serves the explicit needs of children and youth in the City of Richmond as outlined by the Department of Children & Youth; and ensure that the Department evolves in alignment with Youth and Parent input and leadership.
Economic Justice
Healthy Richmond's three areas of focus & work:
(1) building a healthy career pathway specifically for youth facing structural barriers;
(2) changing the narrative about Richmond and its community’s potential, and;
(3) resident-led power building strategies to build lasting racial equity into city and county policies connected to future housing development & increasing jobs that provide livable wages.
The team strikes a unique balance between the concrete tasks of solving economic problems within Richmond, while also stretching to think about how the arts, storytelling, and uplifting community culture can change our narrative.
Community Safety
Contra Costa County Racial Justice Coalition (CCCRJC) led by Safe Return Project and ACCE, is committed to eliminating racial inequities in Contra Costa County. The goal is to decriminalize people of color, reduce jail population, fully incorporate community members into society, and invest in safety net and community services. We believe that: Those who have been most harmed by shackles, walls, and jails must be empowered to shape solutions for their communities.
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Healthy Richmond is a 10-year Initiative, and is part of The California Endowment’s ‘Building Healthy Communities’ initiative, composed of a Network of Resident Leaders (Youth & Adults), Community Based Organizations, Base Builders and Systems leaders. RCF Connects is Healthy Richmond's fiscal sponsor.
