SVPLA Accelerator Spotlight - watch the recording & take action!
We were so happy to see many of your at our special Accelerator Spotlight Session on Wednesday, March 31, 2021. The cohort created a special magic - it almost felt like a “mini Fast Pitch!”
We were joined by special guests and Accelerator alumni (both now SVPLA Partners!) Helen Leung LA Más) and Sahar Pirzada (Vigilant Love) who shared how partnership with values-aligned organizations — both within the SVPLA community and beyond — has been foundational to their systems change work.
Read more highlights and ways you can take action to support below!
Take Action
CicLAvia’s Tafarai Bayne shared how their reimagined CicLAminis will build public confidence in being outdoors by repurposing streets into plazas, bringing together local businesses and neighbors while supporting physical and mental health. ***Ride, roll and walk alongside CicLAvia: donate to catalyze vibrant public spaces, and shop locally.
LA Compost’s Michael Martinez uplifted their statewide partnership to expand community composting across California, thanks to a first-of-its-kind grant from CalRecycle! Plus, LA Compost helped introduce the Regenerate LA motion at City Council, for healthy park management that would reduce carbon in the atmosphere and store it in the ground as compost. ***Lend your hands by composting, donating, or tending to community compost piles.
LA Walks’ John Yi reminded us that when it comes to safe, pedestrian-friendly streets, it’s about more than concrete and cement. Every 36 hours an Angeleno is killed in a car crash - the vast majority immigrants and folks from communities of color. ***Walk with LA Walks: Join their 4/22 fundraiser, Spring Forward, to join the fight for life-saving pedestrian infrastructure in LA. Donate here if you can’t make it!
ACT-LA’s Laura Raymond highlighted ACT-LA’s successful advocacy efforts to get LA Metro to reverse transit service cuts. Through overcrowding and unreliability, service cuts were endangering essential workers who relied on public transit during a pandemic. ACT-LA knows we need free public transit and a vision of Metro as a Sanctuary. ***Call City Council, the Board of Supervisors, and LA Metro during hearings - follow ACT on Twitter to receive action alerts.
LA Room & Board’s Sam Prater celebrated the completion of the first semester at Opportunity House, providing housing, community, and wrap around academic & well-being support to 35 students! In partnership with LACCD LA Room & Board also successfully lobbied for $100MM carve out in the State budget to get extra funding to community colleges statewide. ***Fund mental health: donate to help LA Room & Board fund a much-needed full-time licensed therapist to provide students with necessary mental health support.
ARC’s Sam Lewis shared their powerful policy advocacy efforts - being a key part of the effort to pass Proposition 17, restoring the right to vote to 50,000 formerly incarcerated Californians, and current efforts to amend the California Constitution to end involuntary servitude in the state. ***Join the conversation: stay updated on ARC’s upcoming events, advocacy efforts, and live conversations!
LA Forward’s David Levitus got us excited about local government and initiatives they have in the works - including a partnership with Accelerator peers CicLAvia and LA Walks to launch “WalkLAvia”; a LA Podcast collaboration to demystify LA City Council; and a membership drive to continue growing their organizing work. ***Become a member: join here, and sign up for teach-ins, House Parties and more through their events calendar!
CURB’s Brian Kaneda highlighted the growing awareness for the need to realign our public budgets to reflect our community values. This year, CURB will co-sponsor 3 statewide 2021 bills that focus on racial justice and reducing the statewide incarcerated population. Keep an eye out for the People’s Plan for Prison Closure being released this month. *** Support care, not cages: Endorse the Budget to Save Lives, Sign up for Measure J updates, and donate.