Grounded Strategies Executive Director Transition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/13/2023 Charlie Goodwin, Chair of the Board of Directors boardchair@groundedpgh.org Darnell Moses, Vice Chair of the Board of Directors darnell@groundedpgh.org -- Grounded Strategies announces the resignation of its Executive Director, Ariam Ford, effective November 30, 2023. Ariam will be moving on to a new role outside of Western Pennsylvania.   Ariam has had a profound impact on Grounded and the people and communities we serve during her 6 1/2-year tenure with the organization. As Executive Director, she…

90.5 WESA The Confluence Interview

An amendment to the Municipal Claims and Tax Lien Law now allows Pittsburgh and other organizations to take control of privately-owned, blighted properties. Becca Simon, director of programming at Grounded Strategies, tells us how she hopes the amendment expedites the process for residents to take over vacant, abandoned property, and ultimately build generational wealth. (14:28 - 22:30)

Black Women Green Future Awards 2021

Join New Voices for Reproductive Justice for our inaugural Black Women Green Future™ Awards on Thursday, November 11, 7:00-8:00PM EST sponsored by The Heinz Endowments. This celebration will honor 25 incredible Black women from across the country who are fighting for Environmental, Reproductive, Racial, and Gender Justice in their communities. During the Virtual Awards Ceremony, we will honor each leader individually and their collective work to advance Environmental Justice and to end environmental racism. Registration through Eventbrite will give you…

Environmental Justice: Building Just and Sustainable Communities

Environmental Justice: Building Just and Sustainable Communities Presenters: Alyssa Lyon, Ariam Ford Sustainability is the balance of equity, environment, and economics so current and future generations can thrive. To build just and sustainable communities in our region current systemic, cross-generational, and sector-specific environmental issues to be addressed. Across the U.S. and in Pittsburgh, systemic and institutional racism is evident in the environmental injustices faced daily by BIPOC communities. This session will start with a land acknowledgment recognizing and respecting Native Nations…

Diversity Forum 2021_Dismantling Oppressive Systems: Building Just Communities

Dismantling Oppressive Systems: Building Just Communities July 26-29, 2021 The aim of the 2021 Diversity Forum, “Dismantling Oppressive Systems: Building Just Communities,” is to engage and equip participants with the knowledge, skills and resources to identify sources of systemic oppression, consider strategies for dismantling that oppression, and actions critical in fostering more equitable and just communities in which we live, work and learn. Watch Here: Ariam's Segment begins at minute 20! Featured Speakers Anthony Ray Hinton, who was wrongfully convicted of…

2021 Nature of Place Symposium “Wild Childhood” 

Nature of Place Symposium  NOTE: This year's Nature of Place symposium held virtually! 2021 Nature of Place Symposium "Wild Childhood" April 5 – 7; noon – 1:30 p.m. daily The Nature of Place symposium centers on the implications of biophilia — the innate human connection to nature — which extend across a vast array of disciplines including design and engineering, nutrition, psychology, public health, education, biology and the humanities. Biophilia is expressed all over the world every day, through complex collaborations such…

FIRST PERSON: ARIAM FORD OF GROUNDED STRATEGIES FIGHTS APATHY AROUND RESTORING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE

Courtesy of Ariam Ford FIRST PERSON: ARIAM FORD OF GROUNDED STRATEGIES FIGHTS APATHY AROUND RESTORING ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE KARA HOLSOPPLEAPRIL 9, 2021 ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE This is the third installment of our series, First Person, featuring Black leaders in environmental organizations and advocacy in our region.##Ariam Ford admits she’s a history nerd. It was her major as an undergrad at the University of Virginia, and its lessons give her hope that things can change. “Change is the only constant,” Ford said. And there’s…

EP. 46 – MEET ARIAM FORD-GRAVER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GROUNDED STRATEGIES

ENVIRONMENTAL CAUSES, THE SLAW PODCAST, VOLUNTEERING EP. 46 – MEET ARIAM FORD-GRAVER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF GROUNDED STRATEGIES Learn more about the local nonprofit that works with communities to revitalize vacant or neglected land throughout Pittsburgh. Published on Tuesday, Sep 22nd, 2020 by STEPHANIE BREA iTunes | Spotify | Direct Download (right-click to download) Meet Ariam Ford-Graver, executive director of Grounded Strategies A city planner with a passion for environmental justice, Ariam Ford-Graver is the executive director of Grounded Strategies, a local nonprofit that uses land as a medium…

Celebrating Pittsburgh: Rebuilding from the ground up

PITTSBURGH — As our communities change, many urban areas in the city and county are seeing more vacant lots. But a local nonprofit is giving the neighborhood the tools to make a positive change. From areas overgrown with weeds to trash and grass-covered lots, you can find spaces like these across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. The latter has 60,000 vacant lots, with 30,000 in the city. Thousand more lots sit with rundown empty homes or condemned houses. “Just an eyesore, a…

Pittsburgh councilman proposes building urban farm on ‘perfect’ Brookline plot

Cars once again lined up for food bank distributions last week and will again Monday, as an economic and food crisis emanates from the COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, Pittsburgh City Council members continued discussing visions for growing crops within every city district. One member brought forth a proposal to build an urban farm on “the perfect piece of property” with a community partner that has “passion.” “If we’re serious about growing food, this is where to do it,” said Councilman Anthony Coghill, who represents…

Pittsburgh Council aiming to turn vacant land into urban gardens

Pittsburgh City Council is considering plans to provide city residents with free fresh produce by ramping up urban farming on vacant land owned by the public. Council on Wednesday will debate three bills designed to facilitate urban agriculture. One would direct the Finance Department to identify vacant properties owned by the city that can be used for urban farming. Another would authorize the hiring of East Liberty-based Grounded Strategies for $45,000 to prepare a 1.2 acre property in Brookline and…