DSEJ Empowering Communities
DSEJ’s purpose is to organize and empower low- to moderate-income communities in the State of Delaware. DSEJ neighborhood chapters, made up of low- to moderate-income members, will take up issues that directly affect their families and communities. DSEJ’s membership, leadership, staff and allies believe that the best advocates for troubled low- to moderate-income communities are empowered residents who are directly affected by injustices such as renters neglect, economic discrimination, substandard housing, poor-quality education, and environmental hazards. Through leadership training and organizing community members around issues affecting them, DSEJ’s goal is to equip community members with the necessary tools and skills to lead policy initiates related to the issues (e.g. foreclosure), thus sparking institutional change in Delaware.
Financial Justice Center
Tax Preparation
DSEJ collaborates with DACA to provide free current year tax preparation annually and we can also provide prior year taxes upon request. If you can do your own taxes, we would love it if you would be willing to volunteer to help your neighbors with theirs.
Financial Literacy Training
We believe all people should understand the basics of manage their money, and to that end we provide free financial literacy workshops for the public at no cost, where we teach about budget management, credit literacy, and credit repair.
Foreclosure Outreach
Delawarean for Social and Economic Justice (DSEJ) Foreclosure Outreach and Education Project, with support from the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA). Through this outreach and education program, DSEJ is reaching out to homeowners facing foreclosure and helping them to enroll in the Delaware Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program.
“I received a knock on my door from DSEJ at a time when I really needed it. They helped me get enrolled in the program and get help from a housing counselor,” said Lois Goodwyn, who enrolled in the Delaware Residential Mortgage Foreclosure Mediation Program after DSEJ’s Foreclosure Outreach and Education Project contacted her. “Not only that,” Goodwyn said, “the people at DSEJ gave me much needed moral support and some hope that everything might turn out OK with my home.”
Our Campaigns
Education Reform
DSEJ model for Delaware schools emphasizes small classes, accurate and current classroom materials, parents and communities involvement, and qualified teachers. We believe that community organizations and businesses should play a huge part in the development of our children’s education.
Environmental Reform
DSEJ recently became a member of the Safer Chemicals, Healthy Families (SCHF) coalition, a national campaign to protect the health of Americans by putting common sense limits on toxic chemicals.
DSEJ became involved with the SCHF coalition because we are very interested in protecting our most vulnerable populations. We want adequate reduction in the disproportionate burden of toxic chemical exposure to people of color, the low-income population, and indigenous communities... Read more about reforming the Toxic Substances Control Act
Immigration Reform
Fixing our broken immigration system will require reliance on the tried and true American values that have made us the most successful experiment in building a nation of immigrants in world history. The bottom line is that our values as a nation demand that reform must fulfill the dream of one nation by creating a path to citizenship, honoring families, protecting American workers and preserving the American system of justice. Join the movement now!
