United Congregations of Metro East

Ucm is dedicated to dismantling systemic issues with environmental justice including environemental racism. Environmental racism is a form of institutional racism leading to landfills, incinerators and hazardous waste disposal being disproportionaltely placed in communities of color. Communities in st clair county, il suffer from lack of fresh foods and many cities have become food deserts, air pollotion due to industrial plants, flooding & sewage backup iligal dumping and much more.ucm has been working with community members on both sides of the Mississippi river to combat the veolia incinerator and their use of illegal chemicals. Ucm plans to conduct a measurable research project on the air quality throughout st clair and madison counties in il to show the impact of the veolia incinerator along with other local industrial plants polluting the air.

Transformational justice/restorative justice - this includes dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline and giving returning citizens fair employment opportunities. Through the leadership pipeline, ucm plas to give youth and adults a chance to succeed through paid volunteering opportunities and interships. Community members will work on campaigns that reflect their self-interest, work in office on day-to-day functions to gain experience, and work in the field to generate and boost more community involvement on issues that both directly and indirectly impacts the Metro East residents