People's Organization for Progress - Central Jersey

Power to the People!

The People's Organization for Progress (P.O.P.) works to empower the grassroots community and fights for its needs. P.O.P. speaks out about poverty, racism, unemployment, education, housing, drugs, crime, and community deterioration as well as important local, national and international issues. To learn more, visit the NJ P.O.P. web site.

Vickie White

POP lost a valued and much beloved leader on July 1. Vickie White, Chair of the Central Jersey chapter and a dear friend, was the heart, soul, and glue of POP Central Jersey and the Peace and Justice Coalition. She was also an important leader within the state organization. Within the community of Highland Park, Vickie served as a member and then President of the Board of Education and brought back the organization Southside Pride, representing people on the Southside of Highland Park. She was a founding member of Bridge Builders, as well as a member of NJ Peace Action and The Edible Gardens Project. Nine years ago she worked with the Highland Park Board of Health to start the annual Highland Park Health Fair, which has provided a resource to address healthcare disparities and educate the public about health issues.

Vickie was passionate about social, racial, economic, and environmental justice, and worked indefatigably to address these concerns. She was also there on a personal level when the people in her life needed her. There could be no better friend and no more passionate freedom fighter.

Vickie's work was recognized with awards from a number of organizations, but more than that, she was well-loved by her family: her mom Julia, and her brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, and cousins, as well as her friends. The loss to her family and friends, and her community is incalculable. We will miss her so very much.

Funeral and memorial information will be posted here in the coming days.

Video Tribute to Vickie
For a gallery of photos of Vickie in her element, visit http://gallery.me.com/union_county_labor#100055

Without Struggle,
There Is No Progress

P.O.P. supports self-help and other efforts to improve conditions in our community. However our ultimate goal is the complete elimination of all forms of racial, social, and economic inequality and injustice. If you want to have a stronger voice in the affairs of our community then you should join the People's Organization for Progress.

Read POP's Earth Day Statement

The Edible Gardens Project

Global climate change, the food crisis, the economic crisis, pesticide-laden  frankenfood, and the end of oil, changing the way we get our food and the way we eat has become essential.

POP Central Jersey has partnered with the Farmer Solidarity Project and Highland Park's Trinity United Methodist Church to form the Highland Park Edible Gardens Project. The mission of this project is to improve food security, nutrition, and the environment locally by increasing the number of residents growing their own food, encourage using organic gardening principles,  teach green job skills such as soil testing, permaculture design, and building garden-related structures such as hoop houses, and to provide fresh produce to local food pantries.

Seventeen people were at the first meeting on Feb 1 and formed several subcommittees to do the work of preparing for Spring gardens. More people are expressing an interest in participating every day. So far, the staffed subcommittees are Garden Design, Procurement/Distribution/Building, and Outreach.

The Garden Design group met to determine the best design for a group member's garden and to learn about winter sowing. Members of he Procurement etc. subcommittee have obtained 200 wood pallets and constructed a prototype raised bed. The Procurement subcommittee is creating a list of garden tools that members have on hand to share.

We are seeking donations and have applied for seed donations from Seeds of Change. Donations can be financial or in-kind. We especially need SOIL, as well as black plastic, organic nutrient soil additions, garden tools, chicken wire, nails and screws.

The Outreach subcommittee has reached out to the local schools and the senior housing complex. We have a google group and a facebook page to encourage similar projects in other communities. Our web site is www.ediblegardensproject.org.

Edible Gardens Project has been in the news: See N.J. community gardening blossoms with more members by Karen Keller in The Star-Ledger on May 12, 2009. Also: Vernal Visitors View Veggies... in the Highland Park Mirror. There is also an article "Meet the (Incr)edibles" in the Spring Quicksilver.

Green Jobs

Members of POP Central Jersey recently attended the Good Jobs Green Jobs National Conference in Wasington, DC. More than 2500 people heard "Green Collar Economy" author Van Jones, new EPA Administrator (and former NJ DEP Commissioner) Lisa Jackson, Native American Activist, Environmentalist and former Green Party Vice Presidential candidate Winona LaDuke, and other environmental and labor leaders speak on the implications of the green collar economy.

 Green jobs can run the gamut from solar and wind manufacturing  and installation to energy conservation, environmental cleanup, growing food, recycling to building biycles for transportation.

POP Central Jersey wants to bring the Green Jobs message to our area by offering green jobs training to young people through the Edible Gardens Project, and encouraging area schools to include green jobs training in their curricula. 

This Is What We're Talking About!

Malik Rahim, co-founder of Common Ground Relief in New Orleans, stopped by a recent P.O.P. fundraiser and snapped this photo with assorted representatives of POP-NJ (Chair), POP-CJ (Chair & members), MFSO, NJPA, NY Katrina-Rita Survivor Solidarity Coalition, Veterans for Peace (Executive Director), NJ-ACLU, Tent State/SDS, IUC Solidarity Singers, and Perth Amboy RAP (Chair)/Love Movement (Founder). Plans are in the works for a joint effort between POP-CJ and the NY Katrina-Rita group to hold a caravan that visits cities in the Northeast Corridor to do outreach for the upcoming Katrina Survivor Assembly in New Orleans.

Contact Us

P.O.P. Central Jersey welcomes the participation of individuals and organizations committed to the values of racial, social, and economic equality and justice.

If you would like to join the Central Jersey affiliate or work with us, please contact us:

E-mail: popcentraljersey@yahoo.com       Phone: 732-763-1134