Just Treatment and Meaningful Involvement of All People

June 18, 2025

Putting Resources Into Practice

Sarita Hudson is the Senior Director of Strategy and Development at the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. Read her reflection about environmental justice.


"It is so powerful to see the roots of the environmental justice movement and understand how our efforts in Western Massachusetts grow from those courageous and visionary people. Together in 1991, those leaders framed environmental justice, and later in 2009, they created climate justice principles. I am inspired and proud that these ideas have been adopted at the state level and previously by the EPA. I’ve been so struck by the language “just treatment and meaningful involvement of all people,” and I strive to work towards those goals in my work."


Learn more about environmental justice and find other helpful resources in the Race and Health Equity Resource Guide.

share this

Related Articles

Annual Legislative Briefing

February 16, 2026
On February 9, 2026, the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts convened partners and legislators to celebrate the FY26 earmark for 413Cares.org and to share updates on major regional initiatives. PHIWM extends deep appreciation to Representative Michael Finn, Senator Adam Gomez, and the entire Western Massachusetts legislative delegation for their continued partnership and support for 413Cares.org , which remains a critical tool for connecting Western MA residents to help when they need it most. 413Cares.org saw major growth in 2025, with searches doubling and the number of users increasing more than fourfold. Check out photos from the gathering below!
Public Health Institute of Western MA 2025 In Numbers

New Annual Report! 2025 In-Numbers

February 6, 2026
Learn more about our work in 2025 bringing communities together, advocating for policy change, engaging community, and using data to drive change.

Thank you for 30 years of partnership!

January 23, 2026
In 1996, courageous and visionary leaders from competing healthcare institutions created a public health organization to bring people together, secure resources, and convene multiple sectors to focus on community health issues that were not being addressed. That collective vision and action manifested in Partners for a Healthier Community, now the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. Over the past 30 year s, we have strengthened partnerships and uplifted community voices. We are more committed than ever to ensure everyone has what they need to lead a healthy life. Thank you for your decades of partnership and lifetime of active hope.