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By Scott G. Knowles: As part of the STL Anthropocene Field Campus the research team visited the Wood Refinery Refinery History Museum on March 9, 2019. This museum is located on the grounds of the Wood River Refinery, a Shell Oil refinery built in 1917 and today owned by Phillips 66. The site is Roxana, Illinois, just upriver from Granite City, and just over two miles from the convergence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Sitting on the actual grounds of the refinery, the museum is an invitation to think across the micro, meso, and macro scales of the Quotidian Anthropocene, in terms of geography and also in terms of time. This refinery was built at the crux of the WWI, at a time when United States petrochemical production was entering an intensive phase of production, invention, corporate structuring, and global engagement. The museum is an invitation to think across temporal scales, backwards to the start of the refinery--through the individual lives of the workers and engineers whose lives defined the refinery--and forward to indeterminate points of future memory. This photo captures a key moment in an informal interview we did with one of the history guides. He had worked in the museum for decades before retiring. He explained to us that the museum sits in the former research facility of the refinery--and the glass plat he is showing reveals a beautiful artifact, a photograph made of the complex when it was built. Our guide only showed us this collection of slides after our conversation had advanced, perhaps after he was sure we were truly interested in his story, and the deeper history of the refinery. The pride in the place, the community of workers, and the teaching ability of the museum was manifest. The research team felt impressed, but also concerned about the health impacts (and naturally the environmental impacts as well) of the refinery. There was a mismatch in the scales--the memory of the individual tied to emotions of pride and knowledge of hard work done there--and the Anthropocene, global scale of petrochemicals. How do we resolve this mismatch? The glass plate is somehow a clue.

1. How does the organization collaborate with other organizations, community groups, or stakeholders in pursuing its mission, and what are some of the benefits and challenges of these partnerships?

2. How does the organization envision its future growth and development, and what strategies are being pursued to achieve these goals?

Nuestra Casa San Mateo County's work advances justice and good governance by promoting affordable housing, immigrant rights, and social and economic justice. By providing resources and support to low-income and immigrant communities in San Mateo County, the organization seeks to address systemic inequalities and empower marginalized communities. Through its advocacy efforts, Nuestra Casa San Mateo County also aims to influence public policy and decision-making to create a more just and equitable society.

Nuestra Casa San Mateo County functions within the non-profit sector, specifically within the community-based organization sub-sector. Its place within this ecology is to provide resources and support to the Latino community in San Mateo County.

 Nuestra Casa San Mateo County has collaborated with various organizations in the area to advance its mission. Some of these organizations include the San Mateo County Central Labor Council, the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, and the San Mateo County Immigrant Rights Coalition. Nuestra Casa San Mateo County has also worked closely with local government officials and agencies to advocate for affordable housing and immigrant rights.

Common challenges and concerns that organizations working in social justice and community development may face include limited resources, unequal power dynamics, systemic barriers, resistance to change, and complex social and political issues that require long-term solutions.

This organization does not seem to produce its research and data relating to environmental justice. Still, they share and circulate documents from credible, scholarly resources that have made data relevant to their work.

Nuestra Casa works on several initiatives, and they seek to improve the lives of low-income immigrant communities in San Mateo County, California. Illustrative programming includes; Immigration Services, Health and Wellness Programs, Housing Support, Community + Civic Engagement, Education, and Career Development.

The Nuestra Casa San Mateo County has its website and social media accounts on various platforms including; Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Additionally, supporters can sign up to receive updates via newsletter directly to their email inbox.

Nuestra Casa San Mateo County relies on public grants, private donations, and fundraising to sustain its work.  Their website features a list of their donors, including the Palo Alto Community Fund, Costco, Facebook/Meta Community Fund, PG&E, The Shmidt Family Foundation, and more.