Planting Seeds of Change

Roots2Empower uses direct service, education, public policy, and community engagement to confront social injustice and advance equity in southern New England. 

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2025 Community Input Report
2025 Community Input Report

In 2024, Roots 2Empower spoke with 220 community members over a series of seven meetings to prepare them to engage in the development of the 2025 Climate Action Strategy and understand what support they would need to do so. During these meetings, we educated participants about the causes of climate change from an environmental justice lens, provided an overview of climate action the state is taking, and gathered feedback which we published in this report.

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Fostering Environmental Justice
Fostering Environmental Justice

This booklet was created to foster conversations about environmental justice in Rhode Island in advance of the state’s development of the 2025 Climate Action Strategy. Although this history is incomplete, our goal was to provide baseline information about the extractive economy, how it started, and the ways it fuels the relationship crisis between ourselves, each other, and the Earth. This booklet is available in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

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All people have the right to meaningful participation in the decision-making that impacts their lives. As society transforms to address the intersecting climate, health, and economic crises, everyone must have the opportunity to be at the table, shaping the solutions.

We Believe

We foster an equitable, community-driven transition to a regenerative future through public education, skills-building, and environmental connection.

Our Mission

Our vision is a just and equitable southern New England powered by deep democracy and a regenerative economy rooted in belonging, care, and cooperation. We envision a region where all families have access to the healing power of nature, sustainable energy, dignified housing, and nutritious food without the systemic barriers of racism, poverty, and mass incarceration.

Our Vision

How We Make a Difference

Program Areas

  • As society transforms to address the intersecting climate, health, and economic crises, we work to ensure an equitable and community-driven transition to a regenerative future.

    We strengthen our Rhode Island communities by cultivating inclusive spaces that foster connection and belonging. By providing education that is accessible, we support residents of environmental justice areas to grow a vision for community resilience and support their civic engagement.

  • We increase access to nutritious, culturally appropriate, affordable food options for Rhode Island’s urban core. By teaching people who live in food deserts accessible gardening options and distributing food grown in our guerilla garden, we improve food security for families in need. We also provide workshops in food justice, herbalism, nutrition, and micro-farming to improve the health and well-being of our communities.

  • We help increase social mobility for individuals facing systemic barriers to economic empowerment. By offering training in entrepreneurship and financial literacy we work to remove barriers to employment and support economic stability, especially for folks who are formerly incarcerated. We provide mentorship and direct services to ensure our community members have the support needed to thrive.