About us
The Climate Corps Initiative (TCCI) is proud to be the first environmental nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the vibrant, working‑class communities of Sun Valley and disadvantaged communities of color across San Fernando Valley and broader Los Angeles County. Rooted in neighborhoods that have been underfunded, overburdened by pollution, and neglected for decades, TCCI exists to ensure that residents who have borne the brunt of environmental harm are finally placed at the center of climate solutions.
Our organization was born directly from the urgent, heartfelt calls for help from Sun Valley residents, families living near freeways, industrial corridors, and landfills, who are forced to breathe toxic air, endure extreme heat, and cope with chronic health issues tied to environmental neglect. These are communities that have consistently been left out of planning processes and meaningful investment, even as they experience the daily reality of environmental racism and systemic disinvestment and poor planning and land use decisions imposed on vulnerable communities without their input and knowledge.
As lifelong residents and committed local business owners, our founders have not only witnessed these injustices; they have lived them. They have seen children grow up with asthma, elders struggle through heat waves without shade or cooling centers, and neighbors forced to choose between speaking up and risking retaliation or staying silent and watching conditions worsen. These lived experiences have given TCCI a deep, nuanced understanding of the interconnected environmental, health, economic, and social challenges facing our communities.
TCCI channels this lived expertise into action. We work hand‑in‑hand with low‑income communities of color to:
- Build local climate leadership through training, youth and adult “climate corps” cohorts, and community organizing.
- Advance environmental health by addressing air quality, urban heat, illegal dumping, and unsafe industrial practices.
- Secure tangible improvements – trees, shade, cooling infrastructure, clean mobility, shaded infrastructure to protect from extreme heat, and green jobs, accessible green space so that climate investments flow first to those who have been left behind the longest.
For funders and partners, TCCI offers a trusted, community‑embedded bridge between resources and the residents who need them most. We are uniquely positioned to transform top‑down climate plans into on‑the‑ground change, ensuring that every dollar invested supports community‑driven solutions, builds local capacity, and advances environmental justice in historically marginalized neighborhoods.
At TCCI, we believe that the people closest to the problem are closest to the solution. By uplifting community voices, building local leadership, and directing climate investments into underinvested communities of color, we are working toward a future where Sun Valley and similar neighborhoods are no longer sacrifice zones, but thriving, resilient, and healthy places to live, work, and grow.
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