Zemii ゼミ: Portfolio

Gone to the Dogs Rescue, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Redondo Beach, California. Over the last decade, we have rescued more than 1,800 dogs from euthanasia.

Mission Statement

Our mission is to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome the most endangered shelter and homeless pets, the broken, the sick, the injured, and the old.

Organization History

Gone to the Dogs Rescue, a 501(c)(3) founded in 2011 by Marcella Janes RN MSN CCM, specializes in rehabilitating and rehoming the abandoned and abused pets in Southern and Central California. Our volunteer-based organization was formed after discovering that the highest public kill shelter is within 10 minutes of many affluent neighborhoods. We have rescued and helped over 1,800 abandoned, neglected, and abused companion pets find their forever homes. We are well established in our community and our efficacy is proven.

We foster rescue dogs in our homes, hands on, teaching them everything they need to secure a trusted adoptive family. We do this 100% voluntarily and work without a salary. We know they require specialized veterinary care. We also know these are the dogs who do not get adopted in the shelters. We make a positive impact on easing the overburdened animal shelters and the euthanasia rate due to our efforts to rescue animals in the greatest of need. We are doing our part to ensure CA becomes “no kill” state.

We successfully survived the pandemic years, unlike many other similar organizations in our community. We've continued to rescue animals through the pandemic. Our adoption rate is 95% as we continue to care for any pets who are not adopted as long as they need care. We use social media to recruit additional pet foster care homes to nurture the rescued until a permanent home has been found. We also use social media to secure additional volunteers to help manage daily operations and to help prepare dogs for adoption.

Problem

According to The Los Angeles Times, nearly 50% of the 72,000 animals brought to six of the Los Angeles County Shelters were euthanized in 2014. Since partnering with our organization and other rescue groups, the killings have been reduced. The statistics for Los Angeles County in 2021-2022 showed a total of 6,899 euthanized animals out of 24,856 that came into the shelters. That is a significant improvement and we are so proud to be a part of that change. However, the current reality for the shelters in Los Angeles County is that many are severely understaffed and staff are turning away those who wish to surrender their animals. This creates an undocumented urgency for animals who may be left abandoned by their owners to the streets.

The law in California states that shelters will hold a dog a maximum of six business days before they can be euthanized or placed for adoption. It is imperative that our pet foster care family network grows. On average, it takes between one to six months to secure a permanent family for healthy adoptable dogs. Additionally, it can take a year or more to secure a permanent family for power breeds as well as aging and medically needy dogs.

Programs

We believe our impact reaches far deeper than saving a life, we know and understand the human-animal connection is an integral part of a well-rounded and healthy community. We believe all abandoned pets deserve a second chance. We strive to not just rescue them but to provide them with the highest quality medical care, rehabilitative services including: training; behavioral modification; feeding them high quality food; and providing loving volunteer foster homes as they await adoption through our onsite adoption events.

Due to age, veterinary care needed, behavioral, or chronic medical issues, we understand they will be with us a long time after rescue and we continue to work for their care, place them in foster homes, and house them for the rest of their lives, if need be. Over 50% of the dogs in our care are over the age of nine, most have chronic medical issues and have cost us thousands in veterinary expenses, this leaves our organization in immediate and continued need. Every dog we adopt to families is spayed/neutered, microchipped, healthy, flea/tick free, and has undergone veterinary evaluation.

Our programs include the following:

Pet behavioral training.
Pet adoption (pre-screened homes from adoption events, home visits to check fences, gates, etc., The adoption process runs around $1,000/per dog and veterinary costs are up 25% this year).
Pet parenting education.
Pet geriatric and medical care (vaccinations, spay/neuter, microchip, dental care, surgeries, etc.).
Pet owner financial hardship program for urgent and routine veterinarian care.
Rescue from high kill shelters.
Transportation from shelters, to veterinary care, and foster/adoption homes.

The total costs of rescuing one dog from the shelter all the way to the completed adoption can vary from $1,000 - $10,000 per dog depending on veterinary care needed, health, prescription diets, medications, supplements, supplies, training, and boarding. We had one dog that cost $25,000 due to genetic disorder issues. I am personally fostering a long-term dog with a biting history who was rescued off the euthenasia table at Carson Animal Shelter. To date, his costs have run up to $15,000 for vet care, professional training for behavior management, and routine care.

Always Choose Adventures

Shella Zelenz — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:56:59 GMT

Always Choose Adventures (ACA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in Littleton, Colorado. Our sole purpose is to provide support and information for anyone interested in challenging themselves to get outdoors and explore the vast nature around them. Our founder, Chantelle Shoaee, started ACA after spending the first 30 years of her life being told her health prevented her from spending time outside, let alone taking adventures involving hiking and mountains. After discovering the benefits received by challenging the previous limitations placed upon her and exploring outdoor activity, she founded ACA to help others who also find themselves housebound either by physical, mental, or emotional disability or simply because their life requires them to spend their entire days connected to technology and not connected to other people and nature.

ACA has numerous community centric partnerships that enable us to offer gear rentals at affordable rates. We host numerous adaptive events that reach people of all ages and skill levels. Our community centric model helps people from all walks of life learn and enjoy adventuring, enabling those with limitations access to equipment that would make it possible for them to also enjoy the same outdoor activities that other adventurers enjoy. At this time, we are seeking operational support to help facilitate expansion of the various events that we host.

Mission

Our mission is to help people of all ages, backgrounds, skill levels, and physical abilities access the outdoors, get off the couch and disconnect from technology, while connecting with others.

Organization History

Always Choose Adventures (ACA) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2016 and located in Littleton, Colorado. Chantelle Shoaee, our founder, started ACA after discovering that despite medical advice to stay indoors for the first 30 years of her life due to a COPD diagnosis, she flourished and exceeded her own expectations by challenging herself to go outdoors and take on mountain hiking and other physically challenging activities that able bodied persons frequently dismiss as possible for themselves.

By offering the essential tools, equipment, training, assistance, and confidence support, ACA reminds people, regardless of physical, emotional, or mental disability, that they can do anything they strive to do. By providing this solid foundation, people from all limitations and abilities are able to participate in activity, adventure, and appreciate the outdoors in ways they never before believed possible. The confidence achieved for them impacts their own self-perception and ripples out to those who are involved in their lives. The impact is far larger than the focused effort.

Since 2016, we have helped community members who suffer with cerebral palsy, cystic fibrosis, autism, traumatic brain injuries, asthma, COPD, and chronic pain get off the couch and participate in outdoor activities for free or through affordable rates. We host many monthly events varying from hiking, backpacking, climbing, camping, canyoneering, skiing, snowboarding, ice climbing, snow cave camping, and much more. We also host monthly socials, with the goal of helping people meet like-minded adventurers. Although fairly young, ACA has managed to obtain 20,000 group members and followers across numerous social media platforms and nationwide recognition.

Problem
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cite that, “engaging in physical activity outdoors can help improve your physical health, as well as your mental health and well-being.” Those with disabilities frequently find their neighborhoods without sufficient support for their disabilities in order to participate in basic exercise in their own neighborhood, let alone to go on an adventure such as hiking in the mountains. As a result, many with disabilities are more prone to obesity, stroke, heart disease, cancer, or diabetes than those who do not have disabilities. Without ACA, many would not have facilitated access to most outdoor activities, let alone adventures. Access to adaptive bicycles, gear for camping or hiking, snowshoeing, paddleboarding, kayaking, and ice and rock climbing would be out of reach or impossible for many. This is in addition to having no community support to assist them in their effort to experience these types of activities and adventures correctly and safely. Our programs are not exclusive to those with disabilities, but inclusive of all. Families that have a mixture of ability complexities don’t frequently find opportunities for the entire family to participate as equals, but they can when they work together with ACA and our various events offered nationwide. There is no other nonprofit organization in Colorado that bridges the ability gap with the variety of outdoor activities that can be experienced.

Programs

ACA’s programs vary quite extensively. Each is designed to help connect people to different types of outdoor adventure experiences and education on safe adventuring.

ReWild Your Child

Events designed for families and children that offer outdoor activities friendly for beginner adventurers and utilizes the ACA Gear Library of child-oriented outdoor equipment.
- Targeted towards families with younger children, this program creates outdoor opportunities with less research and pre-planning investment for parents, so that they can show up to an already coordinated event to expose their children to outdoor skills and education.

Anguish to Adventures

This program highlights the importance of conversation and mental health awareness. The program’s connection-to-community focus includes recreational activities that provide a therapeutic impact for participant mental health.
- With support from licensed mental health professionals, Anguish to Adventures provides a virtual meeting option for people to talk about life challenges that have helped them grow and how they have evolved into adventurers who take advantage of the outdoors and push their boundaries.

Run ACA

Participants are introduced to the wonderful world of running through a supportive community that fosters health, exercise, and outdoor activity.
- As a way to introduce an activity that most people are familiar with, this program creates an opportunity for participants to connect with others in a simplistic way – putting feet to the pavement. Whether it be for a mile or a marathon, the goal of the program is for participants to make connections doing something outdoors that everyone knows how to do…which is run!

Trail TimeOuts

An opportunity for ACA members to give back to their communities through a variety of partnerships they enjoy through volunteer efforts that include:
- Adopt a Highway,
- Spruce Up Colorado,
- Working at food pantries,
- Working with youth homes in the Denver Metro area,
- Visiting children at the Denver Children’s Home,
- Promoting good land stewardship through trail cleanups, and many more.

ACA Mountaineering

This program holds events that enable people from various abilities to learn how to climb and conquer more technical summiting challenges.
- Teaches basic practical skills for hiking and outdoor safety. Topics and activities include education around how people should plan for hike activities (route mapping, GPS coordinates, etc.), to the practical necessities that should be included in their hiking backpack for every trip, to how to monitor route conditions and weather before and during the outdoor activity.

Couch to Trail

This program utilizes trained wilderness partners working in tandem with ACA volunteers to create low-pressure events for people from various fitness levels to be encouraged to explore community outdoor activities and help build new routines for them to continue as a group or on their own.
- Designed for people just starting on their outdoor / adventuring journey, this is a program that offers low intensity activity that is appropriate for any age group or modality so that people can build on their current fitness level and experience the outdoors in a more coordinated, controlled event setting.

Partnerships

ACA is fortunate to have so many community partners and corporate sponsors for many of our events and equipment needs. In all, we currently have 33 organizations who support and/or sponsor our events: Abby Dew for You, All is Accounted for Accounting and Bookkeeping, Amazon.com, American Lung Association, Animal Rescue of the Rockies, Arc’Teryx Denver, Axe Whooping: Axe Throwing Denver, Bluebird Backcountry Skiing, Boulder Parks and Recreation, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado Asthma and Allergy, Colorado Chapter of the National Hemophilia Foundation, Colorado Mountain School Professional Mountain Guides

Colorado Search and Rescue, CO Trex, Crescent Moon Snowshoes and Accessories, Front Range Climbing Company, Lawson Adventure Park and Resort, Littleton Public Schools, Littleton Rotary Club, Liquid Descent Rafting, Mountain Side Gear and Rental, Mountain Trip Guides, National Jewish Hospital, Osprey, Peak Flags, Stansport, Solo Wilderness School, Summit Roofing and Gutters, The Flag Makers, The Shed Equipment Rental, Vasa Fitness, and 100% Chiropractic.

The San Diego Chorus

Shella Zelenz — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:56:00 GMT

The San Diego Chorus is a chapter of Sweet Adelines International, a Nonprofit all-women’s chorus. We are a musical education society for women, committed to fostering musical skills, promoting personal growth through leadership, and providing performance opportunities. We welcome women 14 years and older to join the chorus. There is no upper age limit and we have members in their 80’s. They do not have to have formal musical training.

Mission Statement

Sweet Adelines promotes friendship and a sense of belonging among women of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds. The San Diego Chorus is dedicated to musical excellence and education for women of all ages. We harmonize the world.

Purpose

Women who sing live longer and have fewer health problems. Singing in a chorus also provides tremendous emotional support. Our organization provides many opportunities to learn how to be a musical educator, contest judge, arranger, or administrator. It also gives women a chance to expand their leadership abilities through chapter governance. Women in our chorus support each other through all joys and challenges in life.

Organization History

We are dedicated to providing musical education over a woman’s lifetime so that there is a place to sing at any age or stage of life. We measure success by the number of women who are able to participate. The San Diego Chorus is 65 years old and has provided musical education for thousands of women of all ages and backgrounds. Our current chorus ranges in age from 22 to 86 years old. We are diversified racially and socioeconomically. We have military veterans, gay women, and physically handicapped women in our group. Much can be learned about our organization on the Sweet Adelines International website: www.sweetadelineintl.org or on our own website at www.sdchorus.org.

Project

We would like to expand our outreach to minority and lower income women by creating funded programs that make it possible for them to participate. We would also like to expand our youth outreach to female students ages 14-24. The following are the performances and activities we plan to include in their sponsorship and outreach in the coming year:

All Star A Cappella Festival
December Nights at Balboa Park
Sweet Adelines International Contest

The Girl Scouts of America has created a special badge for young women who participate in a Sweet Adelines chorus activity. We are forming a youth chorus comprised of girl scouts and other students in our county. This chorus will be directed by Assistant Directors, Rebecca Land and Reema Hayashida. There are no paid volunteers for this effort. Women from the chorus will assist with food service at rehearsals, chaperoning, etc. Total volunteers for this effort will number about 20. These women will begin public performances in September.

Free Voice Lessons for Women targets younger and less affluent women who are invited to attend a regular weekly rehearsal where there are volunteers involved in teaching the fundamentals of music theory, sight reading and vocalization. These women may audition for the chorus and will be offered scholarships for dues subsidy for their first year. The volunteer team for this is about 20 members. Our biggest challenge for this program is that we will not have dues revenue from regular members to support them. Financial assistance will allow us to provide this education at no cost.

Sweet Adelines - Youth Harmony Day Provides Free Vocal Lessons KUSI-TV 11-5-19 Web from San Diego Chorus, SAI on Vimeo.

Angelic Housing Resources Foundation

Shella Zelenz — Thu, 07 Mar 2024 11:53:47 GMT

Angelic Housing Resources Foundation, Inc. (AHRF) is a nonprofit organization located in Sacramento, California. AHRF provides housing, essential services for basic needs, and financial literacy education for a truly diverse and underserved community. Those we serve are often facing economic challenges, homelessness, or suffer some form of disability. We provide them with safe and affordable housing, while also making sure that their basic needs are met.

Mission

Angelic Housing is on a mission to end homelessness, one life at a time.

Organization History

Our founder, Angela Jones, has been a licensed realtor since 2007 and has many years of property management experience. She has a deep passion for ensuring that equal, fair and affordable housing is available for all. Witnessing the increased levels of homelessness in her community of Sacramento inspired her to start Angelic Housing Resources Foundation (AHRF) in 2020 with the opening of her first two transitional living homes. The COVID-19 pandemic was especially difficult for the homeless population and many of them arrived to AHRF with only the clothes on their backs. The need is greater than what AHRF is currently able to offer, so expansion efforts are in process to acquire additional transitional houses and offer more assistance to those in the community.

Demographics served

AHRF serves people from all races and sexual orientations. Those served are predominantly homeless, disabled, veterans, elderly, and individuals experiencing economic hardships.

Geographic area served

Sacramento County

Currently, our homes are primarily in Sacramento County. We have people who have moved here from all areas of California in an effort to find affordable housing. We would like to open more homes in Northern California, specifically in Sacramento, Placer, Yolo, and Solano Counties.

Collaborations

We collaborate our efforts with the following organizations: Sac Self Help Housing, 211, Hope Coop, Steps, El Hogar, Turning Point, Heritage Oaks Mental Hospital, Sierra Vista Mental Hospital, Telecare, Alta Regional Center, Sutter Center for Psychiatry, CEPS, Kaiser, and Loaves and Fishes.

Problem Statement

Housing is problematic in all of California, and Sacramento is no exception. There are increasing numbers of homeless people in California due to constantly increasing housing prices paired with a slow development of new affordable housing options. Emergency homeless shelters are overrun and unable to meet the demands of the realities faced by many in our community. Temporary shelters often require those who stay there to take their possessions with them every morning, which makes finding employment even more of a challenge when those who stay there have no place to store their belongings, forcing many of them to give up their belongings in the vain attempt to find employment. This makes it challenging when trying to present one’s best self to a new employer if forced to wear the same clothing every day without proper hygiene and personal care product access is limited.

Not everyone who finds themselves in a homeless shelter is uneducated as many like to assume. Those who experience homelessness range from veterans, single parents, the elderly, and PhDs. Mental health issues often create a downward spiral which eventually becomes a trap that is incredibly difficult to escape (25% report having a serious mental illness). Pair this with any form of disability, ageism, and lack of childcare, and the situation becomes impossible for some. That is without the current reality in the real estate market adding one more weight on their shoulders to bear. As it currently stands, affordable housing in Sacramento is on target to continue increased homelessness just as it is across the entire state of California due to the ever-increasing rents.

In 2020, the homeless population increased to 11,222 people from the previous year’s 5,111. The homeless response system in Sacramento includes 10 organizations that perform street outreach, 1,205 emergency shelter beds, 517 transitional shelter beds, 770 rapid rehousing beds, and 3,342 permanent supportive housing beds. This left 5,388 people without a bed despite the community efforts available. Sacramento County’s most recent count (in 2019) documented 5,500 people homeless, which was a 19% increase from the two years prior. As we can see, this trend didn’t happen simply because of COVID-19. It was a problem before the pandemic, and it has only been exacerbated (more than doubled in one year alone) as a result of the pandemic. Despite the monumental efforts of local nonprofits and the generous funding of foundations across the nation, the need is sorely unmet. A recent news article from Sacramento’s ABC10 describes the harsh reality facing the homeless issue in California.

“When it comes to the homeless issue as a whole, it’s not just a Sacramento issue but a statewide problem. An audit released this year says the state’s approach has been uncoordinated. No single state entity in California oversees efforts to address homelessness or is responsible for developing a statewide strategic plan. Instead, at least nine state agencies administer and oversee 41 different programs that provide funding related to homelessness.

ABC10 reached out to the governor’s office about the audit and the deputy secretary of communications with the Business, Consumer Services, and Housing Agency replied back. That agency oversees the Homeless Coordinating and Financing Council. The agency says the state could be doing more to coordinate the response to homelessness in California, but it can’t take actions because it does not have the authority or resources to do so. Legislation would be required.”

In 2016, 50% of homeless single individuals in Sacramento were over 50 years old. That is a 354% increase since 1990. The 2019 Sacramento Point-in-Time Count identified that 65% of older adults said that identifying affordable housing was a primary need. The Pandemic delayed the survey in 2021, so updated results aren’t currently available. However, due to the doubling of homeless persons in 2020, it is clear that the issue has not improved.

Although AHRF isn’t capable of tackling the remaining homeless population as a whole, we are doing all we can to help fill the gap and expanding our services as quickly as we possibly can. To date, we have housed more than 100 individuals. Our goal is to house 200 by the end of 2023. Some come to us on their own and others are referred to us by government agencies, local agencies, and hospitals. We do advertise our services to the various local and state programs who are seeking housing for their clients. We also advertise to the general public that we offer safe and affordable housing.

Programs

We conduct intake surveys with our clients, which include background checks. We draft lease agreements, provide property tours for prospective clients, and maintain the properties on a regular basis. Additional services include clothing, food, financial literacy education and resources, and assistance with social issues. We are looking to expand our current offerings as our programs grow.

Safe and Affordable Housing Program

This program offers safe and affordable housing to the homeless, disabled, veterans, elderly, and those who are living on low incomes. This also includes Social Security recipients. All rooms are shared with two beds per room. Similar to a hostel setting, there is a shared kitchen, laundry, common areas, and security available throughout the property. The facilities offer central air, heating, cable, internet, and all rooms are fully furnished. There is a house manager available on-site at all times. The monthly housing fee is $600 per twin size bed and $650 per full-size bed. This program also includes financial literacy education to help the residents learn how to budget their money. For those we are unable to accommodate, we provide contact information and pamphlets for other programs in the community. We have an extensive list of agencies throughout the community that can assist our residents and those who we are unable to accommodate with housing, food, clothing, financial assistance, and more. Many people do not know how to find the resources they need when they are experiencing financial hardship. Some become disheartened after being turned down from too many agencies. This is unfortunately common, and we try to do all we can to help them find the resources they need.

Varnette P. Honeywood Foundation

Shella Zelenz — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:58:17 GMT

The Varnette P. Honeywood Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established around the artistic legacy of Ms. Honeywood’s more than 40-year extensive contribution to the artwork of the African American culture. Her work was so well loved, that during the 1990s, Honeywood illustrated a series of 12 books by Bill Cosby, the Little Bill books for beginning readers. Little Bill was made into an animated television series based on Honeywood’s illustrations. She designed the characters and contributed to and consulted on the program that was broadcast on Nick Jr., Viacom, CBS networks.

Currently Little Bill can be seen online. Little Bill won a 2001 Peabody Award, a 2004 Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Children’s Series, and a best-selling series, Oprah Book Club list. Varnette appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show as the illustrator of the Little Bill series.

Ms. Honeywood passed away from uterine cancer in 2010. Her request was that the foundation would help support research for curing various reproductive cancers and provide cancer prevention awareness. The focus of the foundation is to provide cancer awareness and support cancer research relating to reproductive cancers. To provide contributions in support of medical and other scientific research focused on eradicating cancer of the various reproductive organs in men and women. We offer awareness and fundraising campaigns through art health seminars and art programs at various libraries, festivals, exhibits, and workshops. The foundation also provides art supplies to various communities.

Mission

Varnette P. Honeywood Foundation is inspired by the principals of fostering a sense of common ground among all people, improving the quality of life for every member of the human family, and cultivating a widespread shared commitment to creating a more enlightened society for the benefit of future generations.

Organization History

Well-known nationally and internationally renowned artist and illustrator, Varnette P. Honeywood, is highly regarded for her use of color and light, patterns, and textures. Her work, primarily paintings, collages, prints mixed-medium art, lithograph, serigraph, silk screen, mono-printing, oil on canvas, watercolor, watercolor with gold leaf, ceramic tile, acrylic on paper, acrylic on canvas, pen and sketch, and pen and ink, has received global exposure in galleries, museums, and individual and group shows as well as in books and on television. Honeywood is famous for her upbeat depictions of African American family life. Carrying on the tradition of genre painting, an African American artistic movement that followed in the wake of the Harlem Renaissance, her work portrays African Americans in a range of settings, going about various activities, always stressing the colorful and creative aspects of African American culture. Her work tells stories and communicates ideas and thoughts about African American culture. Much of Honeywood’s art concerns the history of African Americans, their sufferings, and triumphs, and celebrates the strength and leadership of African American people.

Varnette P. Honeywood Foundation is currently in its early phase of organization and development. When Varnette passed away from uterine cancer, it was one of her wishes to create a foundation that could utilize her artistic accomplishments to help provide support in the medical community and those suffering from reproductive cancers. Tiffany, Varnette’s cousin, uses her medical background to reinforce the wishes of her cousin. The foundation owns the copyright to all of Varnette’s artwork. We showcase her artwork globally. There is also a lack of preventive education available for cancer awareness in the communities who need it most. This was the most logical choice to celebrate and honor Varnette’s wishes.

Programs

We foster the significance and continue art programs in various communities that have frequently been taken away. We want to incorporate Varnette’s story of art to inspire fellow artists and future artists. We give scholarships to those pursuing art degrees, donate art and school supplies, and hold art seminars and workshops. The primary demographic for our art programs is youth ages 4-17 and are most often African American. We are not exclusive of race or age.

We also want to aid in the fight against uterine cancer and provide enough information to the community about preventive medicine. We also want to donate to a few cancer research labs that are finding a cure. The demographics that we wish to serve include adults of all races, genders, disabilities, and art students who have uterine cancer or are at risk for reproductive cancers.

Current Programs

Varnette P. Honeywood at the Library – Library art programs for children (various activities, art program for adults, and a seminar).
Mosiac Cancer Preventive Medicine Program – Mosiacart events for fundraising and auction.
Preventive Medicine Program vendor at various community events providing free information about preventive medicine and uterine cancer.
Mobile Art Program – Art program to reach other areas outside of LA County.
Traveling art showcase, inspire, and fundraise across America
Mobile art program – art program to reach other areas outside of LA County
Traveling Art Show – showcase, inspire, and fundraise across America
Vendor at various events to pass out art supplies and school supplies to and fundraise across America.

Varnette P. Honeywood Foundation is focused on the following priorities:

Art Scholarship programs for talented and promising art students, which include art supplies.
Creating and uplifting self-awareness through Art, Creativity, and Education (ACE).
Cancer Prevention research focused on conquering cancer of the cervix, ovaries, uterus, reproductive, and testicles (COURT).
Providing cancer awareness and aiding cancer research for communities afflicted by reproductive cancers.

S.T.A.R.S. Community Development Corporation (STARSCDC)

Shella Zelenz — Wed, 06 Mar 2024 11:53:05 GMT

S.T.A.R.S. Community Development Corporation (STARSCDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to uplifting disadvantaged communities in Las Vegas through disruption of at-risk lifestyles, empowering individuals and families for success. We provide innovative accessible opportunities for all ages uplifting communities and optimizing existing social programs.

Our primary focus is mentoring youth by expanding our services that provide early childhood education, affordable childcare, elementary, middle, and high school mentoring, and striving to ensure high school graduation for our participants. S.T.A.R.S. (Striving To Achieve Real Success) helps individual kids by building relationships with their families. This approach enables us to support conditions and behaviors more effectively that help youth make smart choices.

We currently are serving more than 300 families in Las Vegas. We are committed to supporting family pursuits and ambitions by servicing children, youth, and adults, one household at a time. Providing service to the individual helps to provide service to the family, and ultimately the entire community. This is the most realistic manner in which we can help to introduce self-sufficiency to children and families who may not have had the knowledge or access to necessary resources to ensure this level of success previously.

We want to create an environment that will remove barriers for our families. The areas that we are seeking support are helping families to have access to affordable, reachable services right in their neighborhood. We want to provide access to healthcare, transportation, childcare, and job referrals.

Mission

STARSCDC is dedicated to uplifting communities who may otherwise fall victim to at-risk lifestyles by providing charitable services to children, youth and adults that allows communities to become empowered and successful.

History

Founded in 2008, STARSCDC, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit located in Las Vegas, Nevada, has a proven track record of success with youth and their families. Community support has been wide, including police departments, school districts, churches, and community referrals from other organizations. Our collaborations have built this organization up and helped to sustain it for 14 years.

STARSCDC reached a huge milestone in May 2016. With the generous support of Stout Management Company, our summer home was optimally positioned to pursue this mission. Situated within a large (798 unit) multifamily residential complex that is home to approximately half of the students enrolled at Peterson Elementary School. Families in the Peterson Elementary community need help desperately. One hundred percent of enrolled students qualify for the free/reduced lunch program, and one hundred percent read below grade level. Unfortunately, this new home did not last.

Upon completion of the summer camp, we were informed that we would need to find a new location. At first disheartened, we were quickly provided substantial media attention by the Las Vegas Review Journal. They also provided a feature video supporting our efforts. Their large readership assisted us in finding a new home, which now houses our Legacy Learning Center. In this facility, we have been able to also expand our family engagement, community civic engagement, and add entrepreneurship programs.

STARSCDC was founded from a heartfelt and sincere desire to curtail the numerous community at-risk crises facing so many brilliant, capable, and promising individuals. Whether the risk was derived from economic challenges, race, or lifestyle, at STARSCDC we address the way in which individuals are:

at risk of underachieving both academically and professionally;
at risk of believing the labels placed upon their lives from birth;
at risk of not servicing their community to their fullest capacity; and
at risk of not being spiritually charged and positioned to fulfill their God-given destiny;
at risk of not enjoying a fulfilling and fruitful quality of life.

STARSCDC provides services that cater to the needs of these underserved individuals in our community.

Demographics Served

The demographics we serve are a broad range of cultures, races, and ethnicities. We serve those who are economically disadvantaged, struggling with educational pursuits or employment issues, single parents, foster care children, youth serving probation, and those at risk of homelessness. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, gender, or sexual orientation. We also do not discriminate on the basis of handicap, ability, or psychological condition. STARSCDC extends its services and programs to a diverse population in our targeted communities, paying close attention to those aged between 3-26 years of age in order to address educational challenges faced by these groups.

We also serve college students at The University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and in many other locations throughout the City of Las Vegas.

Community Collaborations

STARSCDC works collaboratively with the following organizations:

Southern Nevada youth WIOA program
Baby Bounty
Democracy Prep
Batteries Included Next Generation Program
Three Square
Life Change Outreach enter
Kingdom Television Network

Problem

Many schools in Las Vegas have as much as 93% of their students receiving free or reduced lunch. Middle school student outcomes are below standards with developing/emerging and approaching the standards rates of: 30% in reading, 43% in math, and 42% in science. 12% of students have an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and 32.4 students are English language learners (ELL). Due to the high levels of poverty, these students struggle academically due to lack of support and resources to assist them. This is also very unmotivating for many of them. STARSCDC provides referrals to various agencies and charitable services for very low to no cost to our participants and their families.

Programs and Targeted Accomplishments

S.T.A.R.S. Leadership Empowerment Academy, hosted by The Community Healing Project, provides a safe and creative learning environment supported by mutual respect,

open-mindedness, and diversity. Our current goal is to ensure that the academy helps 100 low-performing students achieve academic success while simultaneously developing leadership skills. This academy provides the following:

Fundamental and Life Skills Training
Tutoring
Mentorship
Personal Reflection, and
Family Engagement Activities

The Academy’s goal is to increase the number of students who improve their test scores for their remaining scholastic years. The program is composed of a host of mentors, paid interns, volunteers, supporters, and sponsors as well as several community partnerships.

S.T.A.R.S. Leadership Empowerment Academy has a well-designed formula to ensure each student is equipped with the support and resources they need to succeed academically, emotionally, socially and physically.

Objectives

In this six-week course the Academy will aim to:

Increase the % of student leaders and guardians’ knowledge of available resources in raising their student’s CRT scores
Increase the %of student leaders who are promoted to the next grade level on time and are on track to graduate
Increase the % of student leaders who raise their reading score by the next grade level
Increase the % of student leaders’ guardians who actively engage in activities associated with assisting student leaders in their academic preparation
Increase the % of student leaders who regularly attend school
Increase the % of student leaders and guardians who possess knowledge of available resources in pursuing a post-secondary education
Increase the % of student leaders who improve their citizenship or behavior

Goals

By the end of the Academy student leaders will:

Show Academic Progress
Establish Individual Identity and Aspirations
Demonstrate an Understanding of Leadership
Gain Understanding of Student Leadership Styles
Create a Model for Humanitarian Services and Social Justice

Scope of Work: Lessons & Activities

Phase One

Personal Growth: Participants will develop knowledge of self and others through a series of activities that promote healthy relationships, self-esteem and leadership skills.

Phase Two

Leadership Development: Youth will learn the basic concepts of leadership and will understand

what it means to be a leader through participation in workshops on decision making, critical thinking, student-parent communication and responsibility.

Phase Three

Academic Success: Participants will learn how to manage their academic responsibilities as well

as enhance their academic performance through preparation for postsecondary education

workshops, activities and resources.

Phase Four

Community/Cultural Involvement & Awareness: Participates will develop knowledge and

awareness about different cultures. They will develop consciousness of issues related to the

needs in the community and diversity. They will also examine the influence of culture on the

community and participate in a community service project.

The Humanitarian Revision Movement (THRM) is a leadership outreach program that focuses on at-risk youth and operates as a component of STARSCDC. THRM was founded upon spiritual principles driven by the pursuit of social change, in respect to THRM’s mission statement, “A philanthropy-based program enhancing visionaries through symbolic creative services that promotes community, leadership and personal Prosperity.”

The Humanitarian Revision Movement is a bridge to student success by incorporating partnerships and community organizations. THRM aims to marry both its mission and that of the

Clark County School District (CCSD) to reinforce and empower student success. Each partner brings an array of resources and support to THRM. THRM provides several volunteer opportunities for high school students, parents, teachers, and other members of the community.

Website

Faithful Covenant Foundation

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:38:45 GMT

Faithful Covenant Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2014. The purpose of Faithful Covenant Foundation is to provide food and basic needs to extremely destitute families who do not otherwise have the means to help themselves. This effort is done primarily through emergency food and relief to the disadvantaged and vulnerable on both a national and global level. In committing to this humanitarian endeavor, our desire is to improve the quality of life of those families most in need.

Faithful Covenant Foundation seeks to recognize and address the following issues through our international refugee aid efforts: 1) Community development: Food security, economic development, primary health, and basic education, and 2) Social injustice and deprivation: Improve the quality of life of those in need.

We wish to expand our assistance efforts to our refugee recipients in Jordan. If we can also expand to include more refugees in our assistance, that would be ideal. Our focus is to provide aid on a monthly or bi-monthly basis as well as distribute emergency funds when needed to those who receive no consistent monthly food or support.

Image by Pakkalajua on Pixabay

Mission

Our mission is our covenant to heal the world and our foundation is based on responsibility and duty to serve, heal, and to be a voice to those that cannot speak for themselves.

Organization History

Faithful Covenant Foundation was founded in 2014 to improve the quality of life of those in desperate need by providing emergency food and aid. Our accomplishments include providing food, health, and nutrition guidance to hundreds of families each year in California and Jordan. Those who have received assistance are at-risk families including: homeless, single parents, elderly, children, sick, refugees, and disabled persons. Our efforts in Jordan also include asylum families from Syria, Iraq, and Sudan. Most have two or three families living together in one household. These are also multigenerational families experiencing disease, illness, or disability. All are experiencing oppression and are either at-risk or below the local poverty level.

Joanne Liang, Director of Refugee Coordination, has implemented programs since 2013, both independently and through collaboration with other organizations. She lived in Jordan from 2009 to 2015, and has built many relationships with local Jordanians and refugee families. She knows the culture, the people, their habits, and their needs. While living there, she and her family witnessed the shock and suffering from the first waves of refugee arrivals into Jordan. Joanne has been privy to intimate and disturbing accounts of families and she has been observing and measuring the devastating long-term effects of the refugee crisis. Now with COVID-19, reports are coming in that people are in their homes with little to no food at all. There are emergency needs everywhere amongst the refugees as the entire nation is on lockdown. When this lifts, they are going to be desperate.

We serve the following geographic areas:

California – San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and San Diego County, USA
Jordan: Mafrag, Hashemi, Amman, Fuhays, and Aqaba

Our efforts are also coordinated in collaboration with Yucaipa Health Coalition, Hebrew Conservative Union, and Immanuel Family Resource Center.

We provide assistance to families regardless of sex, age, religion, or nationality. Discrimination is not allowed in our relief efforts.

Needs Statement

Refugees International has stated, “Jordan hosts more than 750,000 registered refugees. The vast majority are from Syria, but Jordan also hosts tens of thousands of refugees from other countries, including Iraq, Yemen, and Sudan, and many more who are not registered.” Legal employment is inaccessible for 97% of the refugees. Only 3% of the refugees are granted work visas each year. After having fled war or persecution in their homeland, they find themselves trapped in an impossible situation where the ability to take care of basic needs is nearly impossible due to government restrictions. Most have experienced violence, war, prison, torture, and persecution. Many have lost family members. All have loss of homes and livelihood. Extended families are broken up and scattered with some remaining behind or others immigrating to other countries.

NGOs and organizations cannot develop and maintain sustainable projects to generate new employment opportunities for this sector since refugees are not allowed to work. Skill development is only effective if it can be used to earn a living. However, it is illegal. Learning without opportunity to use the skills developed is a fruitless endeavor. It is wasted resources for any NGO attempting to aid these refugees in this manner until the government allows more of them to work. Training programs would not benefit them until and unless they receive immigration. The majority have been waiting over nine years. They have been “on hold” with no hope of repatriation and little hope of immigration.

Our mission is important, especially in Jordan, where the refugee families do not have the ability or means to create a better life until they are granted immigration. Without hope, they barely survive. Our role is to build long-term empowering relationships with the families with the goal of sustaining their hope for improved conditions of their current situation. More than 50% are not receiving any assistance or food. Poor nutrition exacerbates their health issues. Psychological trauma is rampant with PTSD and depression the most common. The never-ending trauma they are enduring after having left severe war and persecution only exacerbates their challenges. Lack of social programs, poor quality of life, continued suffering, and extreme poverty have created a near permanent state of trauma for them.

We have carried out this work with a modest budget and have helped around 100 families in the past. The mission is important because we have the potential of multiplying the amount of aid to many more families and distributing aid more often as our donor base and grant funding increases. This work will be ongoing for many years to come to these destitute families.

In Jordan, the UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) is the primary organization with a large presence that gives an Identification Document to a designated percentage of the neediest families. For example, in November 2019, the UNHCR started the process of distributing “one-off winter cash assistance” for refugees across the country of Jordan. The average amount of cash varied from USD $260 for a single person ($66 per month) to USD $440 for a family of 7 ($110 per month) over a 4 month period. The UNHCR Jordan press release in November 2019 stated that approximately 455,000 refugees will try to be reached with the aid. The May 2019 UNHCR Fact Sheet states there are approximately 775,050 refugees in Jordan. There are 320,050 refugees not reached with this “one-off winter cash assistance” program.

Organizations like Emirates Red Crescent have done winter campaigns to provide blankets and heaters. Caritas Jordan works on behalf of the poor and vulnerable, mostly with medical assistance. Care International helps with a one time $200 cash for families upon their arrival. Some chronically ill patients get monthly help with their medication from UNHCR. Those who have been accepted as eligible for physical disabilities get monthly rent of $180 from UNHCR. It is reported by some who are members of different churches that they get cash assistance from different church programs ranging from $30 to $35 on a quarterly basis. The World Food Program USA gave their statistics for 2018 that they fed 500,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan. The report did not say how much each family was given nor how often and other refugee nationalities were not included in the distribution.

In Jordan, there are international and national NGOs, community-based organizations and small charitable organizations like ours that give aid intermittently; however, when we interview the many refugee families that we have personal contact with, they say there have been very few times over the last several years that they received relief aid. At times, families go for days with low or no food supplies. They often have their electricity shut off for lack of payment. If they can’t pay their rent, they move in with others until they can get another place again.

In Jordan, we maintain records of families with names, ages, addresses, phone numbers, history, copies of U.N. papers and, when available, medical records. We interview each family at least twice a year and our on-the-ground volunteers visit each family periodically to check up on their status. Refugee families report that they do not have any kind of consistent relief aid distributed to them. There are no ongoing social programs of any kind. There are no welfare systems in place, no food banks, no free and reduced priced meals, no food distribution centers, no soup kitchens, no free counseling, no free medical or free clinics, no free dental, no emergency shelters, no free adult or child daycare and only 3% legal employment. The refugee camps only hold a small number of families and therefore 84% of families live outside of the camps. There are organizations that give food vouchers and/or relief aid sporadically, but there are no ongoing programs that give monthly assistance to the majority of refugees.

Program

In Jordan, we distribute food vouchers to refugee families who have no means of helping themselves. Our goals are to distribute not only food vouchers but also vitamins for improved nutrition. Additionally, as funds increase, we aim to provide emergency medical and dental care. Primary activities of the program for refugee aid consists of ongoing fundraising through emails, letters, and phone calls to private donors and through presentations to churches and organizations in America with the goal of taking collected funds to refugees in Jordan and distributing them primarily in food vouchers.

Every four to six months, we travel from California to Jordan to personally assess the families and distribute food vouchers, relief aid, counseling, and encourage them on healthy eating habits, diet, and nutrition. Throughout the year, as emergency situations arise, needs are met by staff in Jordan who are able to receive the funds from our fundraising efforts. The ability to send funds fluctuates from our fundraising results and reserve funding availability.

Our program documents the refugees that we serve in order to effectively develop relationships, specify needs, and monitor progress. This includes weekly progress reports to identify changes in needs, including immigration status changes. We also track new illnesses, if they have received aid from other organizations, if new families have been referred, or if U.N. papers need updating. Food vouchers are then provided to those in greatest need. The amount is calculated by the number of family members, including attention to those who are disabled. Food vouchers come in increments of 25JD ($35), 50JD ($71) and 100JD ($141.00). The vouchers are purchased from local markets. Emergency distribution is determined on a case by case basis.

The average family of 5.3 members can minimally survive on $200 per month for food. There is no organization in Jordan distributing anything close to this amount on any consistent basis. The average apartment costs $210 per month. Based on these figures, the only way to survive is for three or more families to live together, pool their resources, and seek part-time temporary illegal jobs to make ends meet. Many are in debt to their landlords and find themselves with low supplies of food on a regular basis. Our goal is to supply them with enough ongoing support so they can get some kind of respite from a cycle of vulnerability and powerlessness, and help them establish some stability and improve their quality of life.

Reports collected by Faithful Covenant Foundation of the refugees’ debilitating circumstances are found to be profoundly compelling. Our program of distributing coupon vouchers and emergency aid serve many whose instability and desperate needs are so evident. We currently serve 100 families and would like to expand our efforts to assist 300 families.

NYC Arts Cypher

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:28:00 GMT

The NYC Arts Cypher is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization located in Staten Island, New York. The focus of the NYC Arts Cypher is to promote positive values through arts programming, training, education, and events. We focus on the youth in our community, especially those who are considered at-risk and challenged in the traditional educational environment. Through our twenty years of service to the community, we have consistently utilized our space and resources as a tool for change. Our leadership and staff work diligently to use the arts as a catalyst to mentor and support the youth in their future career goals.

Mission

To inspire, educate and give everyone an opportunity to express themselves freely in an artistic environment.

Organization History

The NYC Arts Cypher was founded in Staten Island, New York by Charles Balducci (aka Charlie B.) in 2004. His love of the arts paired with his education in psychology and criminal justice produced an incredible organization that truly changed the young lives in his community. Charlie grew up in Staten Island, and he knew how critically important it was to bring the arts to the youth by focusing their creativity on constructive artistic opportunities. He was a pioneer in bringing arts and entertainment to Staten Island as much as making Staten Island a player in the arts and entertainment industry.

Charlie was involved in the entertainment industry and his exposure through Viacom, Fox, and ABC inspired the creation of an art space designed to provide a networking environment for young adults, artists, entrepreneurs, and supporters of the arts. What began as a production studio, evolved into a flourishing networking environment that provided emerging talent the opportunity to network in a creative environment.

Charlie’s passion for the arts catalyzed his unwavering dedication to serving his community. He was an entrepreneur and philanthropist who innately addressed social issues by merging them with arts and culture. Today we continue his legacy supported by the local community and those who believed in his vision.

Problem

Before NYC Arts Cypher began, there was no artform outlet for the youth in our community. Pair that with the increasing issue of bullying across the nation, we felt a need to address these concerns in a format that appeals to people of all ages. NYC Arts Cypher has also been the leader in educating youth about bullying as well as addressing teen suicide through meaningful artistic expression. More importantly, we took street art and helped the youth produce it in a more constructive manner. The increased criminalization of street art throughout the region had only increased the risk these youth were facing without a constructive outlet for their talents.

NYC Arts Cypher has been a pioneer in many of the programs we offer. As such, there are many organizations who have opted to copy what we do in order to help spread this effective programming to a larger audience. We welcome the expansion of these ideas so that more youth in the region can participate and have an outlet where they are supported in their talents. We feel that there needs to be more places like NYC Arts Cypher available to enrich the youth and community in the arts culture.

We collaborate with various organizations throughout the region, including the Department of Education, NeOn Arts, Carnegie Hall, Department of Probation, Staten Island Justice Center, Staten Island Arts, Department of Youth and Community Development, Department of Cultural Affairs, United Activities Unlimited, Summer Youth Employment Program, AHRC: Association for the Help of Children with Disabilities, Emcees, DJs, Graffiti Artists, Singers, Painters, Break Dancers, Videographers, Photographers, and many more. The programs we provide are curriculum based and offered in schools throughout Staten Island.

We love interacting and helping our community, whether it’s providing them with social support or a safe place to showcase their artistic talents. Our programs are designed in response to ongoing social issues that have a significant impact. We use creativity to combat these issues with artistic programs that have pioneered the non-profit sector with unique opportunities for youth to explore their talents within the arts and entertainment fields in a safe environment. Our mission is important in that we positively challenge youth to explore and pursue their talents for future career endeavors while consistently promoting positivity.

Programs

Our main logo, “The Crazy Head,” represents all that we’re about, what we have done and what we wish to pass onto the youth of today and tomorrow in all the areas of arts and entertainment. The idea being that we have all these “crazy” ideas and concepts in our “head” to inspire and teach to the youth, to participate in something new or to pursue a career goal.

Don’t Be a Bully

The Don’t Be a Bully program began in 2013 to raise awareness on how to combat the increasing issue of bullying in our society. Different programs were introduced throughout schools on Staten Island focusing on bringing out the best in each individual and building self-esteem by developing their artistic talents and expression through cooperative projects. Participants in this initiative serve as mentors raising awareness about bullying in schools. They are usually the instructors of our H.E.R.O program. The goal of the program is to create a safe environment for all students to thrive and become respectful participants of society.

H.E.R.O.

The H.E.R.O (Helping Everyone Respect Others) program is an anti-bullying campaign that teaches the importance of respect through comic book arts. Since its founding in 2018, H.E.R.O. has served hundreds of students in schools across Staten Island. The program utilizes comic book arts, visual arts, dance and technology to deliver a strong anti-bullying message to students.

Students are introduced to comic book concepts like narration and illustration. We address the topic of bullying through a comic book layout. Students go on to produce their own graphic designs including comic book covers, comic books, or signage displays. H.E.R.O.’s principles of respect, creativity, team building, and personal goal setting work to improve student mental health. This program enables students to channel their energy into something creative and positive, instead of using that energy in more destructive ways.

NYC Art Cypher is currently extending our reach to more youth across the city. We aim to reside in as many schools as possible. Our program assists teachers, school staff, and parents by providing a fun and culturally relevant tool for empowering social change against bullying.

M.U.R.A.L.

The Staten Island Film Festival awarded “Best Documentary Short” to NYC Arts Cypher’s film M.U.R.A.L. (Motivate Understanding Realizing Artists Learn) in 2010. The M.U.R.A.L program started in 2006 in response to the NYPD computer statistic reports showing spikes in teen graffiti related arrests. Charlie saw the opportunity and necessity to help create a safe environment for youth to practice graffiti in a positive and productive manner. NYC Arts Cypher essentially became this outlet.

M.U.R.A.L. is an award winning graffiti/street art program that provides teens the opportunity to learn, practice, and express themselves in a positive and safe environment. Participants work with professional artists to find their inner creativity. The step-by-step sessions process culminates with a large-scale mural display. Workshops, classes, events, and networking sessions are fundamental components of the program. We finish with exhibitions of each individual’s artwork or our large-scale mural projects. We plan an “unveiling” event at our location or at the partnered businesses to broadcast the projects publicly. The NYC Arts Cypher is proud to be showing “Wall of Murals” at our venue and displaying various artwork throughout the city. Before his passing, Charlie was working on a M.U.R.A.L. virtual class with Dylan Giangrande and a group of youth who needed a positive outlet during the Pandemic in collaboration with NeOn Arts.

Hip Hop Dance

NYC Arts Cypher has been immersed in Hip Hop culture for nearly two decades through Hip Hop dance. Whether we have attended or hosted exhibitions, competitions, or fundraising events, our goal has always been to share and teach this universal art form native to New York City.

NYC Arts Cypher represents the positive and innovative side of Hip Hop culture by continuously promoting one of its oldest art forms: Hip Hop Dance. Our Hip Hop Dance program encourages youth to collaborate in a positive environment while improving physical and mental health. We have instructors from various teaching backgrounds that specialize and offer their own unique style, some of them have been featured in music videos. This program is for youth interested in dance, fitness, having fun, and socializing with people with common interests.

We offer this program in schools or by hosting individuals to practice, rehearse, and showcase at our studio. We teach the techniques and guide them to move as a cohesive unit. Students are allowed to practice freely and incorporate their own unique style into their performances. At the final exhibition, students showcase their talents by inviting their close friends, family, staff, and the community to see and celebrate all their hard work.

Audio Pro Program

In the Audio Engineering and Production program, participants learn the basics of audio engineering and build a foundation in audio production, music history, production history, and music business. Our highly capable instructors have backgrounds from leading media institutions with vast experience in this field. Regardless of the participants’ prior experience in production, our program trains mentees with the skills necessary to pursue a career in the media industry.

In addition to learning music platforms and equipment, students have the opportunity to delve into music composition. Our studio is equipped with recording devices, laptops, microphones, and the necessary tools to create music videos, films, or recordings. Our DJ booth also encourages students to explore unique forms and genres of music composition.

By the end of the course, each participant showcases their unique soundtrack at a public exhibition for friends and family to enjoy. During the showcase event students unveil their final productions and have the opportunity to network with local artists in the community. This offers students the opportunity to pique their interest and expose them to the audio and engineering field for a potential media career.

BREAKOUT!

BREAKOUT! is a media arts program that utilizes in-house interns interested in learning arts and entertainment industry skills such as photography, videography, design, social media, etc.. Some may already have talent in these artistic fields and are looking to expand their portfolio. Participant skills and talents are enhanced through exposure to a wealth of knowledge and experience in their respective creative field. Interns learn, through supervised guidance in real world creative projects, content creation, event planning, graphic design, video editing, or photography skills either for our organization or for other businesses. The ultimate goal of BREAKOUT! is for those within the program to leave with industry ready skills for their future career.

Website

South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 13:26:04 GMT

The Asian Taskforce Against Domestic Violence identified that “44% of South Asians surveyed know a woman who has been physically abused or injured by her partner.” Two critical areas that make these issues difficult for the South Asian community to address are cultural and religious stigma. “Domestic violence (DV) in the South Asian communities in America has gone unnoticed largely because the social stigma of admitting such information, even to close friends, is profound…cultural differences between the victims and the local social service institutions as well as service providers continue to be problematic. Service providers require a culturally sound model for dealing with South Asian victims. Such models are used by the few organizations operated by South Asians for their own communities but are rarely acknowledged by the larger American institutions.

”Young immigrants (between 25-35) coming to the U.S. from low socio-economic backgrounds are financially and legally dependent on their spouses, fear the repercussions of reporting the abuse. The American Civil Liberty Union’s Women’s Rights Project found that domestic violence is a leading cause of homelessness for women and families. Further, zero-crime tolerance policies in some housing situations penalize victims of domestic violence along with perpetrators as they allow landlords to evict tenants regardless of whether the tenant is the victim or the abuser.

In Family Violence and Maternal Mortality in the South Asian Community: The Role of Obstetrical Care Providers, the authors assert that, “Intimate partner violence [among South Asians] has been shown to be strongly associated with threats of deportation, refusals to change immigration status, and the hiding of immigration documents. In the context of this form of abuse, lack of awareness of available resources/services, inadequate referral, insufficient access to legal aid, lack of interpreters, poor service coordination, and difficulty with community outreach has been associated with women’s inability to understand and affirm their rights.”

Survivors often lack credentials, work permits and/or language skills, inhibiting educated survivors from securing gainful employment. By controlling finances and immigration documents, abusers control the livelihood and legal status of DV survivors and their children. South Asian abuse victims often lack social and familial support, or knowledge of the support systems available in the U.S. community, including the Violence Against Women Act’s (VAWA) protections which assure immigration relief for victims of violence. SAHARA found that this population experiences fear and high levels of anxiety about current immigration agency policies that lead to detention, deportation, or permanent separation of a parent from their child.

Domestic abuse in the South Asian community is a complex and, unfortunately, widespread issue. Many survivors are ostracized for seeking help while others remain in dangerous situations to comply. SAHARA specializes in culturally sensitive and linguistically specific programs and services to meet the evolving needs of the South Asian community. While services are available to all populations, participants generally represent low-income immigrants from South Asian communities in Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

The Domestic Violence Council in Los Angeles County coordinates resources to address the growing challenge and the intersection with homelessness, yet none of their resources are in the languages spoken by the South Asian population. SAHARA’s 30 years have found a sharply increasing need for intervention and services. Since January of 2011, SAHARA provided 48,324 culturally sensitive and linguistically specific services (i.e. counseling, case management, etc.) to survivors of DV and sexual assault (SA). During the 2019 calendar year, SAHARA was able to serve 579 survivors. This number increased by 86% in 2020 during which SAHARA served 670 survivors. SAHARA is the only South Asian community-based organization that currently offers a range of sexual assault victim support services (Crisis intervention, Education & Awareness, Counseling & Therapy, Shelter, Advocacy, Accompaniment, and long-term case management) in the Southern California region.

SAHARA is one of only two organizations in the Los Angeles area that offers a shelter with the cultural and linguistic capacity to serve South Asians and the only one that offers two separate cooking areas (vegetarian and non-vegetarian) which allow adherence to a religion-based diet. In addition to English, SAHARA’s staff and community collaborators have the linguistic capacity to serve Hindi, Urdu, Tamil, Telegu, Marathi, Punjabi, and Gujarati speaking individuals. SAHARA’s Project C.A.R.E services incorporate both a safe shelter at a confidential location, and culturally and linguistically appropriate therapeutic counseling, social services, advocacy, as well as educational and life skills training that empower survivors to make steps toward economic and financial independence.

Language and cultural barriers must be addressed before progress in preventing or ending domestic violence in the South Asian community is possible. Serving South Asian survivors can be exceptionally complicated because even within the South Asian community, individuals speak different languages, practice different cultural norms and social customs, and have different religious beliefs. According to the Institute for Law and Justice, immigrant populations and low-income women are particularly vulnerable.

The growing South Asian community in Southern California regularly requests SAHARA to open full-service offices in other counties to enable ease of access for the increasing need for services for DV/SA survivors in their local communities. The South Asian community is one of the largest and fastest growing immigrant populations in Southern California. SAHARA’s vision is a vibrant South Asian community of healthy families, well-integrated into the Southern California community free from domestic violence. SAHARA’s commitment is rooted in holistic trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and linguistically competent education, prevention, and intervention services for South Asian survivors of all forms of abuse.

Mission

To serve survivors of all forms of abuse in the South Asian community by providing them with culturally sensitive and linguistically specific services.

Organization History

South Asian Helpline and Referral Agency (SAHARA) was founded in 1991 to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate services and emotional support to low-income South Asian domestic violence (DV) survivors and their children in Los Angeles County. Still located in Artesia’s Little India and still providing everything free-of-charge, SAHARA’s service region spans Southern California with clients primarily from Los Angeles and Orange counties. SAHARA has a well-trained, multilingual, and culturally sensitive staff that provides extensive services and emotional support to its clients. Along with SAHARA’s staff, there is a dedicated group of founders, board members, pro bono volunteers, and contractors who are committed to providing top quality services for South Asian community members.

Programs

SAHARA’s multilingual programs and services currently include a toll-free helpline; safe shelter and transitional housing for women and their children for shelter residents specifically for life skills, mental health, legal assistance, education, or vocational training, as well as financial literacy support; and safe social space, education, and victim services for South Asian elders who may be victims of domestic abuse. SAHARA operates a shelter, a transitional living home (not emergency shelter) for victims of domestic violence, case management and support services to non-sheltered victims of abuse, mental health therapy, public benefits enrollment, translation and connection to services, citizenship application assistance, ESL (English as Second Language) and Citizenship Exam Prep classes, and legal assistance referrals for protective orders. This year, we provided COVID emergency assistance covering rent, utilities, internet, and food bank collaboration. We provide transportation access for medical or court hearings, along with preparation and sometimes accompaniment.

SAHARA uses its core programming to address the growing need in Southern California’s South Asian community for culturally-competent and linguistically-specific services to survive abuse and successfully embrace their place in the Southern California culture. Survivors of domestic violence (DV) find our wrap-around social support services a life-saving resource. SAHARA helps them build awareness and skills, find educational and family resources, create financial stability, and craft lives of economic independence, free from violence. Community (non-sheltered) victims of domestic violence participate in the same counseling, resource management, legal and mental health assistance that our sheltered DV clients receive including life skills classes and support groups. Victims create their own goals, plan, and learn how to actively participate in Southern California culture and economy. With linguistically relevant counseling and personal guidance to the resources they need, clients receive legal assistance for immigration and family law issues, mental health therapy to remove legal barriers to success, and a trusted therapist with whom they can discuss the challenges and changes they are experiencing. Currently, we are also assisting with essential needs more than ever before.

SAHARA is committed to the goal of empowering victims to become survivors by growing them past their vulnerabilities to a place of self-sufficiency. SAHARA’s Project C.A.R.E. (Counseling, Advocacy, Reintegration, Education) meets the growing need for empowering, healing services enhanced specifically for the South Asian community, preventive education, and the resources to support survivors’ healthy reintegration into the community.

(Counseling) Enhanced traditional individual and group therapy services to victims through the leadership of culturally sensitive and linguistically specific programs.
(Advocacy) SAHARA will increase the communities’ capacity to provide culturally specific resources and support for victims and their families.
(Reintegration) SAHARA will provide a network of culturally specific resources and services that address the safety, economic, housing, and employable needs of victims including emergency assistance as needed.
(Education) SAHARA will work in cooperation with the community to build education and prevention strategies highlighting culturally specific issues and resources for victims.

Our vision is to see happy, healthy, and successful South Asian individuals and families successfully participating in the Southern California culture and economy, free of violence and the cultural, emotional, legal, and economic barriers that have plagued them. SAHARA has served this vision since 1991 by focusing on victims of abuse and helping them find the successful survivor within.

Demographics Served

SAHARA serves primarily Los Angeles and Orange counties from its main office in Artesia, home to Los Angeles County’s “Little India” neighborhood. SAHARA also serves clients from the surrounding Ventura, Kern, San Bernardino, Riverside, and San Diego counties by referral.

SAHARA serves Southern California’s underserved, marginalized and South Asian survivors of DV/SA and new immigrants who are particularly vulnerable to abuse and exploitation. This includes individuals from India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Afghanistan, and other members of the South Asian diaspora. The Asian American Center for Advancing Justice (AAAJ) found that approximately 52% of Asian Americans in Southern California live in Los Angeles County, and within the state of California, South Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group. Four of the top five fastest growing ethnic groups were South Asian: Indian, 51%; Sri Lankan, 58%; Pakistani, 80%; and Bangladeshi, 149%. 61% of Asian Americans are foreign-born and nearly 75% of these immigrants speak the language of their origin at home. Sri Lankans, Bangladeshis, and Pakistani Americans are the fastest growing ‘Limited English Proficient’ subgroups of Asian Americans. Nearly 50% of the Bangladeshi, more than 25% of the Pakistani and Sri Lankan, and 16% of the Indian population in Southern California fall below the federal poverty line.

Those we serve include eight South Asian Ethno-linguistic communities: Hindi, Gujarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Tamil, Telegu, Bengali & Nepali. Within those groups are six South Asian Religious communities: Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, Parsi Jain & Buddhist. 2020 presented more challenges for these groups due to the coronavirus impacting the service industry where many are employed, and increased discrimination. Many of them fear applying for public benefits for fear of deportation, which also leads to increased economic instability and food insecurity, creating increased tension in the home.

We serve everyone except abusers. While we never turn anyone away if we have or can find what they need, our clients are primarily women (DV program), evenly divided women/men in the Elder program, and primarily South Asian. We know we have some variety in gender expression, we don’t ask or discriminate. We go with their self-selection of gender and in this immigrant community, that is their preference. Most of our clients are low income or no income, some of our shelter residents would be homeless without us or they would stay in the abusive home. We don’t have a wide range of disabled clients but we do have some training to help with hearing and vision impaired clients. Most clients are adults. Children are part of a DV survivor’s family rather than our primary clients. The number of individuals served is constantly increasing and hard to predict at this time.

We Rise Above The Streets

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:31:59 GMT

We Rise Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach Inc. is a nonprofit organization located in Syracuse, New York. Founded by a man who experienced ten years of homelessness himself, we deeply understand the needs and concerns of those in our community who are experiencing a lack of housing and support for basic needs. Combining our experience in homeless services and workforce development, our organization provides workforce readiness, job placement, and life stabilization services to the homeless and financially vulnerable in our community. We strive to empower them toward their own goals for self-sufficiency, bridging the gap not covered by our local social services organizations through education, tools, and the resources required. At this time, we are seeking grant funding support to help expand our outreach efforts as financial insecurity and homelessness has been on the rise in our community.

Mission Statement
We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach Inc. delivers high energy messages that encourage people to live up to their full potential by breaking the cycle of homelessness and criminality.

Organization History

Founded in 2014, We Rise Above the Streets Recovery Outreach Inc. began as a result of the experiences of our founder, Al-Amin Muhammad. For ten years, he was homeless on the streets of Atlanta, Georgia. Having grown up in the south side of Chicago in a Haitian Catholic family, he experienced many life-threatening situations. By the time he turned 15, he found himself lured into gang life, participating in violence, and using drugs. He was subsequently shot in a drive-by shooting when he was 25 years old, barely escaping death from his injuries. He also served time for his criminal behavior, which is where his life changed. In 2008, a fellow inmate asked him what kind of legacy he was leaving behind for his two daughters.

This question prompted him to do some soul searching, which included turning to Islam, graduating from college, and becoming an addiction counselor. After establishing the organization in Syracuse, he has been surrounded by hundreds of volunteers who help him to provide more than 10,000 sack lunches to homeless and food-insecure individuals and households over the last seven years. The organization has also helped more than 20,000 people receive not only a meal, but clothing, shoes, and hygiene products weekly.

Our community outreach cookouts include a Thanksgiving dinner where we help bring awareness to homelessness. Partnerships with various organizations and schools in the Syracuse area have helped the organization spread the message of compassion and encouragement to everyone encountered. Mentorship programs with at-risk youth in the city’s most challenging schools have helped some youth to turn their lives around and become inspired to serve the community.

Al-Amin’s ability to invoke action has drawn the attention of CBS This Morning News where he was interviewed on March, 2023. Jay-Z Rock Nation also recognized his efforts during black history month. Syracuse University has awarded him with the 2021 Exemplary Leadership during COVID-19 Award. The mayor of Syracuse honored him by giving him his own holiday on March 19th called Al-Amin Muhammad Day. The American Red Cross awarded him the Real Hero Award in 2020, and Delta Sigma Theya Sorority gave him the Marjorie Dowdell Fortitutde Award in 2021. TLC The Leadership Classroom awarded him with Exemplary Leadership during COVID-19 in 2021. He is also an active member of the Onandaga County/Syracuse Human Rights Commission Board, the CNY Regional Healthare Equity Task Force, and the author of the book, “ My Purpose of Life.” An active community activist and advocate, he works in partnership with numerous school districts in Onodaga County and Central New York in order to have a bigger impact and outreach for services offered.

Demographics served
We serve all demographics regardless of age, race, religion, culture, or disability. We have many who are veterans, who have a disability, are considered at-risk youth, or are elderly. The geographic region we serve is central New York state.

Problem

The pandemic has devastated many communities worldwide. Syracuse was not exempt.

“Rents in Syracuse increased an average of 25% since 2020. At the same time, low-income tenants lost pandemic reliefs and struggled to deal with inflation. The result has pushed out of their homes people who were just hanging on: Overall homelessness increased 40% in Central New York since 2021.”

New York state currently has the second highest homeless population in the nation. Out of the 74,173 people who are experiencing homelessness in New York State, 12,338 are outside of New York City. To make things worse, “Syracuse has the second-highest percentage of families in the nation getting by on less than $10,000 a year.” The reality is that 3,700 families are currently making less than $10,000 per year, and more than 11,000 families are earning less than $35,000 per year. When pairing this with increased rents, it sets a downward spiral of impossibility for close to 15,000 families in the community facing homelessness, food insecurity, and other basic needs going unmet.

There are supportive housing programs within the Syracuse area, who offer shelter for those in need. Those include Catholic Charities of Onodaga County, the Rescue Mission Alliance of Syracuse, and The Salvation Army Syracuse. What We Rise Above the Streets offers is not housing, but support for enduring as well as help to overcome and change the circumstances for many of the families we come into contact with. Most importantly, we offer human connection and acknowledgement.

Programs

We have programs that vary from outreach, education, providing necessary items, and food for those in need. Most importantly, we offer the human touch and provide meaningful interactions with those who we come into contact with. It is with this genuine connection that our volunteers are ablet o see homelessness and poverty humanized. Helping people see each other as people rather than circumstances helps to raise our community in awareness and compassion.

If We Eat, They Eat

In our If We Eat, They Eat campaign, We Rise Above The Streets helps the community come together and make a difference in the lives of their neighbors with our Sandwich Saturday event. This event serves both the homeless and the housed. Through the providing of basic needs, not only do we serve those in need, we help them to feel seen and the volunteers are awakened to the realities of their community. Sandwich Saturday is a food outreach campaign where we bring sack lunches for more than 1,000 people each week. On occasion, we also offer coats, clothing, and other resources such as hygiene kits.

We Rise Above The Streets Youth Ambassador

Our numerous school partnerships afford us the ability to offer after-school and summer programs to help at-risk youth make healthy life choices. This educational effort also helps them learn how they can serve the community and become powerful leaders within their community. We Rise Above The Streets Youth Ambassador’s mission is to help individuals overcome and/or remove the barriers that deter their pursuit of success. We facilitate opportunities for a better quality of life through improved health and wellness, academic success, personal, social and economic growth, access to artistic excellence and cultural awareness, financial literacy, and building community agencies and institutions. Our summer program is for youth boys and girls between the ages of 14-19.

Self-Sufficiency Program

Our Self-Sufficiency Program offers education to help individuals learn new skills in order to become self-sufficient. These skills include basic skills, job training assistance, and facilitation with resources that are available to help them become employable in an ever changing world. Classes also include financial literacy and budgeting. The program offers a monthly three-week CareerWorks Boot Camp (CB3) designed to prepare individuals for viable jobs and independent living. This is followed by 12 months of career placement and/or vocational training assistance, case management, and continued job retention and mentoring support.

Brazza International Foundation

Shella Zelenz — Tue, 05 Mar 2024 07:14:04 GMT

BRAZZA International Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization that engages in community development activities designed to improve healthcare, education, socio-economic, and agricultural development in underserved communities in Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria. BRAZZA supports educational and community development programs that are locally conceived, designed, implemented, and evaluated, while putting a major focus on health and youth. These underserved communities are frequently impoverished and lack adequate healthcare, access to education and agricultural development for women and girls. As such, our programs focus on gender and health equity. At this time, we are seeking financial assistance for our community health fair clinic in rural Ghana. This health fair is part of a 10 day study tour to enhance and provide healthcare services, training, and distribution of modern medical equipment and supplies to these rural areas.

Image provided by Lydia Daniels of Brazza Foundation International

Mission

Our mission is to provide capacity building in the areas of healthcare, education, and agriculture in conjunction with fellow NGOs to assist underserved communities in the US and other developing nations.

Organizational History

BRAZZA International Foundation (BIF) is a non-profit organization in Maryland. Our focus is to impact healthcare in Ghana through healthcare workforce training, equipping rural healthcare centers to treat COVID-19 cases, to provide public awareness of the healthcare challenges faced with COVID-19, and to ensure healthcare and social protections are available to rural and developing communities. Our educational and development programs for youth are designed to enable self-sustainability and alleviate poverty in the region through self-help initiatives and participatory development projects. Our goal in education is to design and create feasible educational programs throughout West Africa.

We are a new organization that formed during the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified several African countries who were impacted greatly by the pandemic and realized how seriously the health disparities were in the rural communities. This was undermining peace in the community and hampered critical contributions to basic social and economic development. Those areas were: food security, education, and employment. This motivated Brazza to engage in the first trip to Ghana where we provided food, water, and other essentials to the communities in need.

The demographics we serve are primarily older women and youg children in rural areas of Ghana (Besoro-Kumawu), the Ashanti Region, and Anne Arundel. The countries addressed include Ghana, Liberia, and Nigeria.

Problem
Food shortages, population growth, climate disruption, and limited connectivity are significant stressors for sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Already vulnerable populations such as women and ethnic minorities are at an increasingly higher risk for these stressors. Rural female subsistence and small-enterprise farmers in the Ashanti region of Ghana face significant challenges, including declining soil productivity, crop damage from pests and weeds, persistent poverty, bush fires, limited access to healthcare, and limited access to financing and production inputs. Still, agriculture is a dominant solution for poverty reduction and livelihood improvement, given its critical micro and macroeconomic role in Ghana.

The developing nations of West Africa have a long history of negligence and exploitation. A result of this has been inadequate transportation, education, and government funding to provide essential healthcare services. Since there are no adequate health care services available in this region, our mission is essential to the well-being of the region since the only people who receive adequate services of any kind are those of a higher socioeconomic background. COVID-19 brought unforseen medical crises in many nations, and it was completely devastating in rural West Africa. The local community is left with traditional methods due to lack of healthcare services. Even if services are available, they are not affordable for most of the population. There are government clinics, but they are overwhelmed, overstressed, and lack sufficient medical supplies for the villagers.

"I have seen the faces of Africa’s future…..They have convinced me of the difference America can make if we are a genuine partner and friend of Africa, and the difference a new Africa can make to America’s own future" President Clinton, Senegal, 1998.

In March of 2022, we witnessed firsthand the realities of their situation. We performed data collection and analysis through interviews of 150 participants over a three day period. These structured interviews were performed with control and sample groups in order to identify the quantitative data required. This led us to identify what was needed in the community and the best way that Brazaa International Foundation could assist.

Most of the community members have been dianosed with numerous ailments, but unable to pay for healthcare services. In many cases, this is a death sentence. In addition, the ailments lead to family stigmatization. This leads to them disappearing from the community due to their inability to pay for treatment. Family members will encourage them to utilize alternative traditional methods as a last resort. Our priority now is to provide free medical services and equipment to the communities so that they can receive the care they desperately need.

Partnerships
BRAZAA’s goal is to work in partnership with fellow NGOs in these regions to provide additional support services to our unique programs. Our current partners are Project C.U.R.E., Tangeant Health, and Johns Hopkins University - Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Project C.U.R.E. donates medical quipment to the facilities in Ghana.
Tangent Health donates their services.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides medical students who delivery onsite assistance alongsie local doctors during our community health fair.
BRAZZA provides basic training and healthcare services in the rural communities, distribute the medical supplies, and assist the women farmers in their agricultural services.
NY Institute of Technology
Brigham Young University, Marriott School of Business
Ghana Ministry of Health
University of Ghana School of Public Health
George Washington University, Elliott School of International Affairs

In Besoro-Kumawu, Ghana-local leadership, under the direction of Chief Nana Oheneba Owusu Ntiamoa Kantamko commissioned BRAZZA International Foundation (BRAZZA) to assist in expanding and regularizing participants in his farming coalition. In 2021 Brazza International Foundation created the BRAZZA Women's Agricultural Cooperative Initiative and partnered with Chief Nana Oheneba Owusu Ntiamoa Kantamko - Abasehene, Besoro-Kumawu. Both are working together to empower and improve the livelihoods of female farmers in Besoro-Kumawu, Ghana, by reducing food insecurity, and increasing Climate Smart Agriculture methodology; a methodology that emphasizes the use of new technologies to increase production quantity and quality, by making maximum use of resources, while minimizing the environmental impact.

Programs

BRAZZA International has two primary programs in operation at this time. The first program is our Global Health Program. The second program is our Smart Agriculture Program. Although separate programs, they actually inform one another and work cohesively to address the overall health of the community.

Global Health Program

BRAZZA Community Health Fair and Engagement will take place in Kumawu-Besoro, Ghana in the spring of 2024. If we are not able to reach our funding goals for this year, we will request to delay this in order to ensure an effective effort takes places. We are investing very intently in a successful health fair that not only assesses the community’s current state of health, but in partnership with Tangent Health, they are also participating in research for revolutional health technology that has already been approved in the European Union for cardiovascular testing. The research for this project will help feed the support for FDA approval in the United States. Additionally, it will also assess the physical differences between those in Ghana and the United States and how their healthcare may need to be addressed differently.

BRAZZA’s goal with the health fair is to be a contributing factor that helps rebuild the local community’s (Besoro) health care ssytem through education and training of current and future healthcare workers. The ultimate goal is ease in access to affordable medical care: check-ups, basic treatment, maternal and pediatric care, medicine, and emergency services. During this health fair, medical personnel from varous western medical training centers will provide health promotion, educaiton, medical and surgical treatments as well as preventative healthcare services.

The estimated number served is between 200-350 people. Activities performed will be as follows:

Preventive screening: weight, heights, body mass index, blood pressure, and blood sugar.
Health education: diet, exercise, weight management, dental hygiene, immunizations, smoking and alcohol cessation, hypertension, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, stress reducation and anger management, and personal hygiene.
Minor medical or surgical procedures.
Education on reproductive health: personal hygeine items will be provided for women and girls to encourage menstruation care.
Nutrition education: information related to food nutrition, clean drinking water, environmental pollution, preventative health care, and family planning education.

Services provided by partnerships - healthcare personnel, medicines, surgical and medical supplies.

Protocols

Patient rights strictly enforced: privacy, information, life, and quality care.
Sterilized equipment and procedures.
Biomedical waste disposal protocols.
Improvements in WHO statute implementation pertaining to quality care delivery: effective, efficient, accessible, acceptable/patiet-centered, equitable, and safe.

Tangent Health Partnership

The two primary gaps in healthcare that plague most rural areas of Africa are affordability and effective heart disease screening tools. Asymptomatic heart disease kills more than 50% of those who experience their first heart attack. Tangent health has developed an improved testing mechanism that delivers efficient and more effective testing with their Plainsight technology. The sensitivity of the equipment is 3X higher than the current EKG equipment found in hospitals worldwide. The specificity it delivers stands at 88%. Current practices are slower, offer multiple testing through various equipment types and end up being very costly. This eliminates the delays, the need for multiple tests and equipment. Ultimately bringing more effective test results for a fraction of the cost. Additionally, they offer access to electronic medical records through the Azure cloud system, accessible worldwide with proper HIPPA compliance, by cell phone.

To learn more about the way the system works, you can visit the following YouTube link:

As you can see in the video there is a medical algorithm that analyzes and captures EKG signals and within 30 seconds and returns a 3d image of the heart replete with color coded indications of either healthy (green) or pathologic heart tissue (red). The output also provides a myocardial risk score that assesses the severity of any existing pathology.

Ghana, Nigeria, and Liberia have higher incidence of prevalence rate for heart disease than most other areas worldwide. Offering this service free of charge during the health fair will help these developing regions with a clearer understanding of the population’s health. The equipment is also being inserted in Ghana’s military hospital. By providing these services free of charge, Tangent can build a machine learning model which helps these countries know the etiology and epidemiology of the disease and have the ability to better triage the health of the population.

Climate Smart Agriculture Through Climate-Smart Technologies

Technology and data-driven techniques optimize farming practices, increase efficiency, and improve crop yields while minimizing resource usage and environmental impact.

Empowering Female Farmers in Besoro-Kumawu

Advancing Sustainable Agriculture through Climate-Smart Technologies (CSA)

This program supports female farmers to improve their farming by learning new techniques, and receiving research help and business knowledge. We provide the farming tools and supplies for them to be able to grow and sell increasing and healthier crops. This program will enable them to lead better lives while also caring for the environment.

Climate change impact is most severe in regions where the population is already struggling with food insecurity. Their vulnerability is an issue that needs to be addressed to lessen the shocks they will experience as our world continues to change due to climate change. This requires education and access to technological advances that can aid them in their future planning and simultaneously aid women in leading the charge. Our project will track progress and intermediate results in order to aid decisions on project adjustment and implementation.

The purpose of this pilot program is to evaluate the success in improving the livelihoods of rural female subsistence and small-enterprise farmers (RuFSEFs) while alod identifying areas for improvement. The two areas of focus are: reducing food insecurity and developing a unique farming model. The farming model uses remarkable innovative technologies that grow more abundant and healthier crops utilizing fewer resources and simultaneously caring for the environment.

Partnership
Due to the inherent intersection between health and agriculture, BRAZZA has engaged George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs’ Capstone Team to assess and report the findings. Their findings demonstrated the effectiveness of the practices utilized by the female farmers in the community and suggested possible areas for improving their farming practices. The two suggestions offered after the study were that the farmers should collaborate with the country’s public and farming organizations and to establish a united group of female farmers to negotiate fees, share equipment, access training, borrow funding, and actively participate in the market.

This qualitative study used a quasi-experimental structure to compare beneficiaries to non-beneficiaries. It included training & a quasi lending system. This quasi loan system prompted the assessment team to conduct interviews with stakeholders in the Besoro community about the economy. During stakeholder interviews, the team found that the Besoro community's economic growth was slow. Chief Nana Oheneba Owusu Ntiamoa Kantamko uniformly purchased and distributed fertilizer. He adopted this method because the stakeholders lacked funds. The chief funded the stakeholders first, and then the stakeholders returned the fertilizer money to the chief after the crops were sold. Although there are some farmers in the Besoro community intercropping cocoa and maize, sometimes farmers do not have the money to buy herbicides to use. Furthermore, chemical fertilizers are a huge expense and unaffordable for some low-income farmers. In addition to measuring performance, the research study tour focused strategically on Climate Smart Agriculture innovations, which will benefit and strengthen the agricultural technologies and practices to enhance greater productivity.

Brazza can now provide training and resources to these female farmers; significantly improve the living standards of women farmers by increasing productivity, optimizing resource efficiency, and enhancing resilience to climate change. Through CSA practices, women farmers gain access to diversified sources of income, improved markets, and increased decision-making power, which will lead to empowerment and financial stability. Moreover, CSA fosters food security, reduced environmental impact, and enhanced financial resources. By forming coalitions and cooperatives, women farmers can collectively negotiate fees, share equipment, and access vital resources, further boosting their productivity, incomes, and overall well-being. The farmers will work together with local organizations to make life better for the farmers and their communities. They want to help the farmers improve their economic situation and use safe agriculture practices for not solely their well-being, but also the well-being of their communities.

There are three thematic areas of impact identified:

Human impact: the ability to care for large households, pay for their children’s education, and have access to healthcare.
Economic impact: increased profitability from front end access to input markets and selling markets, the ability to hire help for the farm
Capacity impact: Closing the community inequality gap, ability to share information about species conversion, and expanding farming acreage.
Aspirations: Expanding farms more for higher yields, additional composting capacity must rely on rain and crop fall, and more efficient mixed cropping

The overall goal of our assessments, and monitoring and evaluation activities is to effectively guide the transition of climate-smart agriculture pilots into wider scale climate-smart agriculture programs that are successfully implemented on the ground in Ghana and throughout West Africa. Experience has shown that throughout the planning, monitoring and evaluation and learning processes it is important to apply participatory, gender-sensitive approaches and methods to increase the involvement of beneficiaries and stakeholders and foster continuous country ownership and commitment. This is particularly important when enhancing system-wide capacities for climate-smart agriculture.

For climate-smart agriculture interventions, participatory monitoring and evaluation becomes essential as it is needed to receive feedback from the intended beneficiaries on the innovations that have been proposed to improve adaptation, mitigation and livelihood in situations of uncertainty and change; refine or change these practices over time; and build knowledge on what interventions might work for a given locale or agricultural system.

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