Casa Familiar, an environmental justice nonprofit, officially opened La Semilla Community Resiliency Center this week on a once-vacant 7,000-square-foot lot, according to a report by KPBS. The centre, which sits on West Park Avenue near Hall Avenue, was inaugurated on Thursday, September 3. San Ysidro, the busiest border crossing in the United States, now has a haven for residents vulnerable to climate change.
The organisation plans to host a community workshop on September 23 focused on preparing residents for an intensifying El Niño winter. Even on a dark day, the centre won’t go dark, as solar panels generate power.
“This hub is absolutely an education space on how to react and how to respond and how to get ready for disasters and emergencies,” she said during the ribbon-cutting ceremony. They carry a smaller carbon footprint than steel and concrete, according to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute. The centre itself is built with a climate-smart approach. The main building was built using mass timber, large wood panels that store carbon. Electric vehicle charging stations are also available at the centre. A community garden grows food. Water cisterns capture and store rainfall. it is more than a cooling space While the centre is a haven in the face of climate challenges. The residents are learning skills and strategies for reducing energy use, managing extreme heat, and preparing for emergencies. The project is positioned in a community that faces significant challenges like air quality, clean transportation, sustainable living spaces, water and energy conservation. In a climate-disrupted future, that’s the kind of hope worth building on.
