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PROJECTS AND WORKING GROUPS
ST FORWARD members are part of one or more working groups. Each working group focuses on projects that address a specific community challenge. Teams collaboratively devise and act on strategic solutions. These solutions take the form of cleanups, traffic safety initiatives, art projects, youth workshops, partnerships with local businesses and city representatives, and much more. We also work to support the inspiring initiatives in which other local organizations engage. ST FORWARD projects aim to advance inclusion, diversity, equity and land stewardship. Find out more below.
We believe in building a caring relationship with Tuxuunga (the land of the old woman in the Tongva language) as guests and stewards of this unceded Tongva land, its plants, and creatures. Connect with Indigenous culture bearers who graciously advise us and share their vision and knowledge for their ancestral lands. Participate in guided neighborhood walks and hikes with native plant experts to learn about native plants and creatures. Volunteer on habitat restoration and plant or maintain native gardens in our community. Learn about all the different ways we can build relationships of stewardship and care with our local ecosystems honoring traditional knowledge and contemporary scientific best practices to minimize our contributions to climate change, deforestation and environment destruction.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
TRAFFIC: ST SMART WORKING GROUP
We believe that community challenges are best addressed by community-led solutions. Work with residents, city departments, and law enforcement to identify community-driven solutions to our traffic safety issues. Participate in traffic safety and visioning workshops, arts projects, participatory design processes, bike skills training, free helmet giveaways, and awareness campaigns.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
BUILT ENVIRONMENT: ST BEAUTIFUL WORKING GROUP
We believe that caring for our community means caring for our neighbors and for the land and societal fabric we call home. Participate in community cleanups, and work closely with the "Why Dump" team to define strategic solutions to stop illegal dumping in our community. Join 311 awareness campaigns to support our neighbors in utilizing free city services via 311 or the MyLA311 app. Honor our amazing architectural history by saving and restoring local monuments and resurrecting the Sunland-Tujunga Historic Home and Garden Tour.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
CIVIC ENGAGEMENT: ALL VOICES WORKING GROUP
We believe that, in order for a community to thrive, all voices and concerns need space and support, especially those in underrepresented groups. Learn about community impact statements, local leadership, and city services. Organize educational forums, public events, listening forums, and demonstrations. Hold local leaders accountable and help create space for all voices and concerns. Engage in local governance and leadership. Support local youth leadership. Advance equity, anti-racism, diversity and inclusion in our community.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
ARTS AND CULTURE: ART POWER WORKING GROUP
We believe in the transformational power of arts and culture. We create murals, graphic campaigns, arts-centered workshops, site specific art projects, drum circles, cultural festivals and more to address community challenges, build engagement, honor cultural diversity, and bring neighbors together.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
CARE AND BELONGING: HUGS WORKING GROUP
We believe that care, connection, inclusion and resources are key to nurturing a thriving community. We connect our neighbors to services they need to thrive, including our unhoused, people with mental health and substance use needs, tenants, under-resourced, elders, youth, women and LGBTQ+ individuals. By taking a community-based system of care approach, we foster an ever expanding well of resources providing alternatives to policing.
We create a proactive and collaborative relationship between our police officers and our community. As stated in the final report of the President's Task Force on 21st Century Policing, "It must also be stressed that the absence of crime is not the final goal of law enforcement. Rather, it is the promotion and protection of public safety while respecting the dignity and rights of all." Public safety starts with taking care of our neighbors' most basic needs and we will work to connect our neighbors with city agencies and service organizations to address their needs. Join 311 awareness campaigns to support our neighbors in utilizing free city services or the MyLA311 app and free county services via 211.
In the LAPD Community Safety Partnership (CSP) model, residents work alongside officers to reduce crime by creating programs tailored specifically to their community; putting a heightened focus on tackling quality of life issues; and bridging communication and trust gaps between residents and the LAPD. CSP partners also focus on connecting people in need with resources — such as employment training, mobile medical programs, housing, and counseling.
We are committed to the safety and wellness of every member of our community, including our first responders, and all of those who serve the public trust.
Find out more about current projects and news about this working group.
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