Support A Philly EJ Community During Federal Funding Cuts

In 2015 when the largest oil refinery on the East Coast was planned for expansion, no more than a dozen Philadelphia residents came together to form Philly Thrive. The goal was to unite Philadelphians around everyone’s Right to Breathe, drawing the line at the refinery expansion plan. Operating on a shoestring, the small but mighty group knocked on doors and planned creative protests that led to the first victory against the “silent killer.”

Nearly 10 years later, and Philly Thrive has far outlived anyone’s expectations, including achieving a permanent closure of the refinery after a massive explosion in 2019 nearly killed everyone in the greater Philadelphia area. This was seen as a major win against environmental racism . But now federal funding cuts are threatening Philly Thrive’s campaigns and programs for environmental justice. Can you pitch in to make sure Philly Thrive’s doors stay open?

The same month Philly Thrive won refinery closure, Covid-19 cases in the U.S. started to rise and social services weren't matching the level of need. As a true environmental justice organization, Thrive stepped up to fill the gaps threatening residents’ health, safety, and well-being. Since 2020, Philly Thrive has grown mutual aid and home repair programs, while also deepening our advocacy campaigns.

Philly Thrive’s dedicated environmental justice organizing was given serious recognition when the Biden administration selected their vision for a Community Change Grant award in the summer of 2024. The vision: a "resilience hub" serving the neighborhoods most impacted by the legacy of the oil refinery that would integrate programs for home repair, job training, social services, and civic engagement. But the current administration has prevented Philly Thrive from receiving their funding, and now the organization’s life-giving programs and campaigns are vulnerable as the organization faces a major funding gap.

Pitch in to tell this EJ community in Philly: as you have had our back fighting for clean air, a stable climate, and racial justice — we’ve got your back. We see your years of work and the vision of what’s still to come, and we will support you through this period.

Philly Thrive and partner organizations Habitat for Humanity and Energy Coordinating Agency are hopeful that the federal funding will be restored through litigation currently underway, and that the Grays Ferry Resilience Hub will become a reality. But until then, Philly Thrive needs support to maintain operations as an organization and keep our work functioning to:

You can also learn more about how the funding cuts have impacted organizations like Philly Thrive nationally and sign the petition to demand funding be restored for the projects. Thank you for standing by frontline organizations integrating solutions around job training, energy democracy, and community health.

Note: If you prefer to make a tax-exempt donation, you can do so through our website's Donate page here.