OPAL stands for Organizing People, Activating Leaders. Founded in 2006 by and for people of color and low income, OPAL is the grassroots-driven hub at the center of our region’s movement for Environmental Justice. We develop community members’ leadership skills, and motivate them to take action. Together, we lead campaigns, impact public processes, and win victories in policy and procedure to achieve a safe and healthy environment where we live, work, learn, play, and pray. We have an 11-year history of making change at all levels of decision-making, from neighborhood-scale improvements to Federal policy shifts. Our work has been nationally recognized by the Environmental Protection Agency and Poverty USA, and statewide by the Oregon Public Health Institute. Decision-makers across Oregon recognize the vital importance of OPAL’s role in shaping the future of this region.
