Social Justice

Table of contents

  • What is Social Justice? How does this relate to Environmental Justice?

  • What does social justice look like in Iowa City?

    • CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank

    • Backyard Abundance


What is Social Justice? How Does This Relate to Environmental Justice?

Social justice does not have one single definition. However, the three core values of social justice that can be found in many different definitions are (1) Equal rights, (2) Equal opportunity, and (3) Equal treatment. With those three core values in mind, we can understand social justice as equal rights and equitable opportunities for all.

So, how does this relate to Environmental Justice? Well, Environmental Justice is usually considered a subset of social justice or a closely related concept. The U.S. Department of Energy defines Environmental Justice as "the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people...with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies." In short, Environmental Justice seeks to make sure that everyone has an equal share of the environmental benefits ("goods") and burdens ("bads") in society.

What Does Social Justice Look Like in Iowa City?

Service Break Partner: CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank

CommUnity Crisis Services & Food Bank is a volunteer-driven organization based in Iowa City, IA, that provides immediate and non-judgmental support for individuals facing emotional, food, or financial crisis.

Our group volunteered with CommUnity Food Bank for our pre-service trip on March 5th. We did a total of 3 hours of service with the food bank. When we arrived at the food bank, we were given a brief volunteer orientation and tour of the food bank. Next, we were divided up into smaller groups to work on 4 different tasks. Task 1 was in charge of welcoming clients into the food bank, having them fill in a form on a clipboard, and then directing them to the front desk. Due to Covid-19, clipboards and pens were also required to be sanitized. Task 2 was to keep an eye on the clients and make sure they didn't take more than the maximum amount posted due to limited stocks. Task 3 was aiding in restocking the shelves with food. Task 4 was helping clients weigh their carts once they are finished.

Even though all the tasks our group did seem mundane and trivial, they are essential to the smooth operation of the food bank and serving their clients. As there is a limited number of full-time staff that operate the food bank, volunteers play a huge role in the operations. If our group had not done service that day, all the above tasks would have needed to be split between 3 full-time staff and 3 volunteers. The staff would have needed to run around doing the paperwork for the clients, restocking the shelves, weighing the carts, and supervising the volunteers all at the same time!

A food bank's services technically only "treat the symptom" of food insecurity and environmental justice issues in Iowa City. It serves people in crisis: an immediate relief rather a systematic solution that gets to "the roots" of the issue. However, its existence is still very crucial because systematic solutions often take longer to create, implement, and see the effects. People in crisis can't wait that long, they need relief immediately. Thus, in addressing environmental justice issues, both systematic solutions and immediate crisis relief services should be valued.

Service Break Partner: Backyard Abundance


Backyard Abundance is a leading educational nonprofit residing in Iowa City, IA. By providing classes, landscape tours, presentations and one-on-one landscape design consultations, they have helped thousands of people and organizations create beautiful, environmentally-beneficial landscapes that grow healthy food and habitats.

Our service team partnered with Backyard Abundance on March 15th for two hours of service. Once we arrived at the Edible Classroom, we were given a tour of the grounds, briefed on their current practices and needs, and divided into teams to work in areas in which they needed the most help. One section was dedicated to cleaning the garden, sweeping any dirt, leaves, and any remnants of trash away from the garden beds. Another team prepared the educational garden beds for planting, pulling out last season's roots and laying them on the soil to provide nutrients for the new plants. The third team was tasked with with organizing the garden shed, placing tools in a neat order for future volunteers to access easily. Each team dedicated their work to prepare the garden for the upcoming planting season.

The Edible Garden relies on volunteers to tend to the garden, as we learned, it takes a lot of hard work to prepare the grounds for planting. It was wonderful to hear from the staff about all they provide for the community. The purpose of the Edible Garden is to take a step towards a resilient community in which everyone's basic needs are met. The landscapes grow healthy food, free for anyone to harvest, to provide nourishment and support our local economy. Educational services also give community members to the tools and resources needed to build their own garden, creating ecological integrity, health of our local environment, and access to vegetables, fruits, and herbs.

Backyard Abundance supports social justice by providing a bridge for everyone in the community. For among the garden, equality and empowerment is fostered. For anyone can come to the safe space to share information, volunteer, and gain access to food. Helping both the social and environmental fabric of our community. The shared garden will not mend social and environmental injustices in this community, but it is a resource dedicated to providing equal opportunities for food security, education, and environmental benefits.