Our Mission
At California Greenworks (CGW), our mission is to improve the quality of life in urban communities in Southern California through environmental education, urban revitalization, and green economics advocacy. Our projects focus on:
- Sustainable, community-based restoration to eliminate urban blight and promote green space development.
- Innovative, modern and actionable green education and curriculum.
- Advocacy for green job creation and economic development.
We increase public awareness and participation in finding short and long-term solutions to these environmental, social and economic problems and public health challenges. To effectively achieve our goal and ensure authentic community participation, we work in partnership with community-based, civic and nonprofit organizations. Through collaborative efforts, we cultivate environmental stewardship and leadership amongst community members, thus building community capacity.
California Greenworks is broadly focused on one idea: making the world a better place.
California Greenworks primarily serves the communities of south Los Angeles, most of which are disadvantaged communities designated by the Senate Bill 535. These communities are predominantly minorities with high unemployment rate, high housing burden and low educational attainment. In engaging youth of underserved communities, we are establishing pathways to brighter futures for more people, and especially those traditionally left out.
“It should be a civil right for everyone to have clean water and clean air,” founder and CEO Mike Meador said. “No one should be denied from having this. Yet – many are.”
Our work in action
We are a community that works together to bring green space to the most commonly underserved and ignored corners of society. Through the revitalization of these underserved communities, we are reversing environmental injustice while creating benefits for the earth in the fight against climate change.
We work to create …
- Clean water: Our projects enrich the soil and create a healthier environment that will pollute the water less.
- Clean Air: For every tree planted, we reduce the amount of toxins in the air and increase the sustainability of our state.