The Marie Harrison Community Foundation (MHCF) is an environmentalist activist organization focused on the San Francisco Bay Area formed in 2023. It was named after Marie Harrison, an activist who worked on environmental issues and “economic racism” in the Hunters Point area. ¹ Harrison’s activism played a part in the closure of the PG&E Hunters Point power plant in 2006. ²

Programs

The Marie Harrison Community Foundation’s programs include environmental outreach, such as community clean-ups. The group monitors radioactivity with the Hunters Point Community Biomonitoring Program. The MHCF also protests for toxic cleanup of the Hunters Point Shipyard. ³ The group also provides resources for housing and a directory for low-cost services for members of the community. ⁴

In 2022, the group protested to demand the excavation and removal of Hunters Point Naval Shipyard radioactive residue, along with other local groups. ⁵

Associated Organizations

The late Marie Harrison worked with Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, an environmentalist group that operates in California and Arizona. ^{6 7} In 2022, Greenaction reported $1,187,809 in revenues, $848,392 in expenses, and $1,239,629 in total assets. ⁸

In 2022, the Marie Harrison Community Foundation reported donating $60,000 to the Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation for an “electronic upgrade.”  ⁹ The Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation monitors radioactivity from the Superfund site, an area polluted with hazardous material, in San Francisco. In 2023, the Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation reported revenues of $158,975 and expenses of $130,590 with $525,384 in total assets. ⁹

The MHCF, along with the San Francisco Baykeeper, is a voting member of the SF Bay Shoreline Contamination Cleanup Coalition. ¹⁰ In 2023, the San Francisco Baykeeper reported $2,105,029 in revenues and $2,268,695 in expenses, with $2,426,668 in total assets. ¹¹

People

Arieann Harrison, the founder and executive director of the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, is the daughter of the late Marie Harrison. ^{12 13 1} Harrison is also the co-founder of Solutions for Women, a “drug rehabilitation and general trauma recovery for women coming from prison” program. Before her time at the Marie Harrison Community Foundation, Arieann Harrison was a board member of the San Francisco Veterans Lions Foundation. She was also an outreach coordinator for the United Council of Human Services. She resides in San Francisco. ¹³

1. “Herstory.” Marie Harrison Community Foundation. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://www.canwelive.org/herstory.
2.  Locke, Scarth. “Hunters Point Power Plant Controversy -.” Bay Nature, May 16, 2018. https://baynature.org/article/hunters-point-power-plant-controversy/.
3. “Environmental Justice.” Marie Harrison Community Foundation. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.canwelive.org/environmental-justice.
4. “Housing & Job Resources.” Marie Harrison Community Foundation. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.canwelive.org/support-for-communities.
5. Molanphy, Tom. “‘We Feel Abandoned’: Bayview Protest Highlights Ongoing Toxic Waste Scandal.” 48 hills, February 14, 2022. https://48hills.org/2022/02/we-feel-abandoned-bayview-protest-highlights-ongoing-toxic-waste-scandal/.
6. “Our Story.” Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://greenaction.org/our-story/.
7. “Toxic City: A Climate Justice Must-Read, Reviewed by CRBA Activist Dave Rhody.” Climate Reality Bay Area, October 18, 2024. https://www.climaterealitybayarea.org/blog/toxic-city-a-must-read-for-anyone-committed-to-climate-justice.
8. “Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 18, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/greenaction-for-health-and-environmental-justice,432050242/.
9. “Hunters Point Biomonitoring Foundation.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/hunters-point-biomonitoring-foundation,863077687/.
10. SF Bay Shoreline Contamination Cleanup Coalition. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://sfbayshorelineccc.org/.
11. “San Francisco Baykeeper.” Cause IQ. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/san-francisco-baykeeper,680120240/.
12. “Our Team.” Marie Harrison Community Foundation. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://www.canwelive.org/our-team.
13. “Arieann Harrison – Founder – Marie Harrison Foundation.” LinkedIn. Accessed November 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/arieann-harrison-2360379b/.