This week we share three stories with some of our neighbors trying to solve the problem of racism affecting people’s health.
In November I started the Health Disparities Project and shared some real-life stories from people in our community about how racism has played a role in their lives and has affected their health.
Health and Race:Racism in many forms can affect people’s health: Here are a few examples
The words “Racism is a public health crisis” became a new lexicon as protests against police brutality and structural and systemic racism raged locally and nationally in Minneapolis after the death of George Floyd last summer.
Local and regional governments, school boards and nonprofits have passed proclamations to find possible solutions to the negative effects of racism on the lives of people of color, from housing and redlining to educational opportunities to health insurance employment.
The Beacon Journal used $ 3,000 I received through a public health reporting grant to give three $ 1,000 awards. The three winners, Proyecto RAICES, F3 Copley and the Dream Academy’s Bridges program, were selected by a panel of judges from the Akron community. The judges looked for grassroots groups in the Akron area to resolve racism as a public health issue.
Beacon Journal readers donated an additional $ 7,190 to the effort. A second round of applications to distribute the funds to groups that will help address the problem of health inequalities begins today. The application deadline is April 15th.
The award winners are selected by the same group of independent and diverse judges who are not affiliated with either the applicants or the Beacon Journal.
Previous applicants who did not win can reapply. The judges aim to award more than $ 1,000 to individuals, groups, and organizations in Summit County who are developing groundbreaking solutions to address systemic racism as a public health issue in the community. Applicants do not need to be a formal 501 (c) 3 and can be an informal or formal group.
“Food and family and tradition”:Prepare healthier meals for Hispanic parents and children in the Akron area
‘Open the dialog’:The F3 group, which deals with fitness, community, and faith, wants to talk about race
‘Building Healthy Relationships’:Program to encourage teens to have tough conversations about race
If the money is not fully allocated, we will ensure that the funds are donated to organizations that are working to address health inequalities in our community.
Apply to the Health Disparities Project
To apply, please send an email to [email protected] with the following information in an attachment and the subject line “Health Disparities Project”. Applications can also be mailed to the Akron Beacon Journal, Attn: Health Disparities Project, 388 S. Main Street, Suite 720, Akron, OH 44311. Email submissions are preferred. Do not submit your application as the Beacon Journal staff work remotely and the lobby is closed.
All applications must be received by April 15th. The finalists can be contacted for a virtual interview with the judges.
Please include …:
• Name and contact information of the organization or program.
• Name and contact information of the person filling out the application.
• Name and role of the organization or the program leader (s).
• Date of establishment of the organization or program. Include a brief history of the organization or program.
• A brief description of the organization, including the following (no more than one page at a time, typed or written):
- What are the goals of the organization or the program?
- What problems are being addressed?
- Who does the organization or the program serve?
- Provide a brief description of how the award will be used.
- Briefly describe how the effectiveness of the award will be measured, including an estimated timeline to get initial results.
- Include any additional information that the jury may use to evaluate the application.
The Beacon Journal reporter Betty Lin-Fisher can be reached at 330-996-3724 or [email protected]
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