First Church’s Earth Justice Ministry (EJM) is becoming a member of the Coalition on Lead Emergency (COLE), furthering its environmental justice work. A few years ago, First Church supported COLE through a grant from the Lu Krug bequest to further COLE’s educational and water filter distribution efforts.
COLE looks to the day when each known source of lead poisoning is eliminated from Milwaukee, because no level of lead is safe, and we have a serious lead poisoning problem here. COLE engages a broad range of community partners – nonprofits, environmentalists, educators, physicians, attorneys, and other community activists.
COLE’s Education Committee provides support, resources, and direction to COLE teams, as they implement community-wide lead education. Its Workforce Development Committee is setting up programs for lead abatement training. The Advocacy Committee is creating change through legislation, partnerships, and practice. COLE has been able to hire a dynamic but unfortunately only temporary and part-time organizer for COLE Parents Lead, its group of parents and families that have been impacted by lead poisoning.
Terry Wiggins, who formerly served as an Interfaith Earth Network representatives to COLE, will serve as EJM’s representative. Contact her (she’s in the database) if you are interested in learning more or volunteering with COLE.