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Kalamazoo police look to violence intervention program and community partnerships to halt shootings

Al Jones

October 13, 2020 |

Second Wave Michigan |

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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.

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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 |

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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.

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How a neighborhood collaborative transformed a small town

Katie Ellington

September 21, 2020 |

Richland Source |

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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.

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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 |

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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.

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Bright yellow ‘community refrigerators' pop up to feed those in need across Philadelphia

Grace Dickinson

August 08, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia Media Network) |

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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.

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Locals, who know Sunnydale's housing projects well, flattened a COVID-19 outbreak

Lydia Chavez

August 05, 2020 |

Mission Local |

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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.

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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.

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A grassroots policing alternative in Hartford spreads its wings

Isabella Zou

July 08, 2020 |

The Connecticut Mirror |

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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.

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How a Waco nonprofit built a community grocery store in a food desert

Ciara McCarthy

June 27, 2020 |

The Victoria Advocate |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Waco, Texas

Jubilee provides an oasis in a desert - a food desert that is. The community grocery store provides the only fresh food for miles around at competitive prices and makes an effort to cater to the local clientele, stocking items that have been requested and offering locals a discount. The much-needed grocer is the work of a local nonprofit, Mission Waco, which worked with the community to assess its need before raising funds from corporations and celebrities. The success of Jubilee serves as an example to food deserts across the state who have looked to it for a blueprint to serve their own communities.

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This Nonprofit Helps Small Business Aid Go Where it Usually Doesn't

Oscar Perry Abello

May 21, 2020 |

Next City |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Minneapolis, Minnesota

An American nonprofit called the Community Reinvestment Fund expands access to small business loans by partnering with almost two dozen groups across the country to set up and scale up their community development lending. Founded in 1988, the group essentially takes on the risk of a SBA license so that others could benefit from their license. They created an online platform called Spark that redesigned the user interface of the existing loan processor platform to better facilitate the exchange of money. They have now supported loans for 1,000 communities across 49 states.

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