civic health

According to the National Conference on Citizenship, ‘civic health’ is defined as “the way that communities are organized to define and address public problems. Communities with strong indicators of civic health have higher employment rates, stronger schools, better physical health, and more responsive governments.”

civic space

Given the pandemic’s amplification of already-existing equity issues surrounding civic spaces, including parks and streets, we have compiled a list of resources which may help to answer the question: How can civic space more equitably accommodate various community needs?

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate change is the most profound issue of our time and in California we are witnessing the increasingly devastating impacts on our forests, homes, and access to water every year. We hope that these resources will help you learn more about the issue not only at home but also throughout the world. Above all, these resources reflect the importance of large-scale social, political, and economic action to address climate change.

covid-19

We hope you and your families are staying safe and healthy.  In this extraordinary time of civic crisis, using our networks and connecting strategic resources to address civic challenges is more necessary than ever. 

We have compiled a growing list of curated COVID-19 Resource links across sectors including Government agencies, Non-Profits and Business.

STRENGTHENINGDEMOCRACY

Access to accurate and independent information is essential to ensuring freedom and future democratic governance.

education

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated education inequities in Los Angeles and throughout the whole country. We hope these resources are useful for parents seeking to ensure that their children do not fall behind academically. While access to teachers is limited, we believe such a variety of free tutoring resources can help fill the gap.

EMERGENCY PREPARDNESS

The more we are prepared for a variety of potential disasters (biological, chemical, earthquake, fire, flood, terrorism…), the better our chances for successful recovery.

Every night, more than 66,000 Angelenos experience homelessness countywide. 70% of these people suffer from mental health and/or substance abuse issues, and more than 1300 die every year.

Homelessness is one of the most visibly dire challenges Los Angeles faces. At the same time, there are numerous resources dedicated towards housing the unhoused in more affordable and humane ways. Part of the problem may be a disconnect between those resources and opportunities that serve this civic need. Civicas is hopeful that informing and connecting more civic networks might help bridge this gap and advance the City and County of Los Angeles’ ongoing work to eliminate chronic homelessness in our region.

social justice

We are curating links to organizations working to advance social justice and responsible policing, as well as helping community organizers in their fights against racial discrimination and systemic inequities.

Please send any resources, virtual events and/or information you’d like to share to Civicas4LA@gmail.com.

civic organizations

View our comprehensive compilation of civic organizations categorized by type: career, culture, economics, education, environment, justice, media, politics, and women.

organizations index

View our civic organizations index, ordered alphabetically.