Story Search Results

Advanced Search

There are so many ways to search the solutions journalism stories in this database. Explore our searchable fields:

Search Results

You searched for: -

There are 104 results for your search. View and Refine Your Search Terms

Mutual aid networks find roots in communities of color

Christine Fernando

January 21, 2021 |

Associated Press |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Although many mutual aid networks have formed to serve a need during the coronavirus pandemic, the concept has been in practice for centuries and has "deep roots in communities of color." While these grassroots community efforts aren't always referred to as mutual aid, they have nonetheless come into existence to provide economic stability for communities and individuals when governmental structures have failed to do so.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Halls of game: Bingo centers are unheralded pillars of the Corpus Christi community

Clay Carpenter

December 23, 2020 |

Corpus Christi Caller Times |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Corpus Christi, Texas

In Texas, bingo is considered a charitable operation and can act as a revenue source, offering a significant contribution to the funding of many 501c(3) nonprofits, but it also "nourishes the community in other, less obvious ways." Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the bingo operations around the state often provided scholarships and food distribution and offered a reprieve from social isolation. Although the pandemic has altered how many players can be a in a room together, the bingo halls are still attracting regulars.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Kalamazoo police look to violence intervention program and community partnerships to halt shootings

Al Jones

October 13, 2020 |

Second Wave Michigan |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Kalamazoo, Michigan

In their Group Violence Intervention program, Kalamazoo police use "custom notifications" to intervene before street violence erupts. Working in tandem with community groups, the police tell likely shooters that more violence will get them arrested and imprisoned, but stopping now will be rewarded with job help and other services. Progress is slow. It gets measured one by one as young men get jobs and stay out of trouble. The pandemic disrupted the program, followed by a surge in violence. Community members praise the approach as an alternative to overly aggressive policing, but want more services programs.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Old school still rules: Lee-Harvard's high census response rate could teach other neighborhoods a few tricks

Lee Chilcote Conor Morris

September 22, 2020 |

The Land |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cleveland, Ohio

The high census completion rate in Lee-Harvard, as high as 70%, compared to Cleveland’s 50% as a whole, is the result of regular meetings, pre-pandemic, to educate residents of the benefits of the census and dispel common myths. After the pandemic, volunteers at the community center’s monthly food distribution provided census-related information. A group of retired women, called the Ward 1 Volunteer Navigators, also went door-to-door to make sure everyone got counted. Because many of the residents are long time homeowners, neighbor-to-neighbor relationships also led more residents to complete the census.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How a neighborhood collaborative transformed a small town

Katie Ellington

September 21, 2020 |

Richland Source |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Fulton, New York

Residents are using dollar-for-dollar matching grants to spruce up their homes in Fulton, NY, resulting in higher home values, higher morale and the formation of neighborhood collaborations. The grants are granted to entire neighborhoods with the condition that at least half the residents sign up for the challenge. The initiative strives to create a ripple effect that eventually revitalizes the city.

Read More
Go to Original Story
South L.A. Community Fridges feed and support local residents

Charlotte Phillipp Hannah Geller Kacie Yamamoto Kenneth Kim Marlize Duncan

September 18, 2020 |

USC Annenberg Media |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

A mutual aid network in Los Angeles is providing communities across the city with the tools and resources to set up community refrigerators in neighborhoods that request them. A total of 15 refrigerators have been installed and are restocked with fresh foods and basic essentials and maintained by the neighborhoods they serve.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Bright yellow ‘community refrigerators' pop up to feed those in need across Philadelphia

Grace Dickinson

August 08, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Community refrigerators have been installed and stocked in parts of Philadelphia to alleviate food insecurity. Finding an ideal location requires knowing the needs of a community as well as its capacity to keep refrigerators stocked with fresh produce. The Community Fridge Project placed refrigerators in different neighborhoods across North Philadelphia after researching how the idea was launched and implemented in other cities like New York and Los Angeles.

Read More
Go to Original Story
Locals, who know Sunnydale's housing projects well, flattened a COVID-19 outbreak

Lydia Chavez

August 05, 2020 |

Mission Local |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Sunnydale, California

Community leaders in Sunnydale, CA contained a coronavirus scare through swift responses, appeals to the community, contact tracing and establishing neighborhood test sites. An emphasis on public education in the neighborhood was also essential to the efforts. The hyperlocal response, which was unique to the community and catered to its needs, was lauded by health workers.

Read More
Go to Original Story
How A COVID-19 ‘Rapid Response Team' In Chicago Is Working To Fix Decades Of Neglect In Black, Latinx Communities

Dorothy Tucker Samah Assad Carol Thompson

July 31, 2020 |

WBBM-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Spurred by the high concentration of COVID-19 deaths in Black and Latinx neighborhoods on Chicago's South and West sides, city government teamed with multiple community groups to form a Racial Equity Rapid Response Team to distribute protective gear, food, financial aid, and other help in the hard-hit neighborhoods. The help included more than 1 million masks, 6,000 boxes of food, 250,000 information flyers, laptops and free internet access, and $380,000 to help pay rent and utilities. The deaths and desperate need for help stem directly from decades of racial disparities in food and health care access.

Read More
Go to Original Story
A grassroots policing alternative in Hartford spreads its wings

Isabella Zou

July 08, 2020 |

The Connecticut Mirror |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Hartford, Connecticut

Members of a community group in North Hartford, CT, are a positive presence on the streets of the dangerous neighborhood they once grew up in. Men Standing Up Against Violence aim to deter violence, provide support, mediate conflicts, and mentor the youth. The presence of the group was initially unwelcomed by local police officers, but they have proven to be an effective and vital addition to the neighborhood, winning over both the community and the local police department. The group's success is attributed to the trust they've built with locals who often have a deep mistrust and fear of the police.

Read More
Go to Original Story