Community groups, academic & research institutions, and government agencies working on a range of public health issues have received funding from litigation settlements managed by the Public Health Trust.
A selection of recent grants follows:
Helping Inform California's Green Chemistry Initiative
PHT distributed funds related to a Prop. 65 settlement for projects to inform or support the development of "Green Chemistry" regulations, practices and policy in California. Six diverse organizations received funding:
Black Women for Wellness will initiate a comprehensive education and outreach campaign engaging African American women and girls on the Green Chemistry Initiative as it impacts community health and well-being ($34,000).
Breast Cancer Fund will conduct an education and engagement campaign in support of a comprehensive green chemistry program, while working with legislators and regulatory departments to strengthen the Green Chemistry Initiative ($64,000).
CHANGE Coalition will continue its role as the convening body for community, labor and health organizations in ongoing efforts to promote public participation and community engagement in California's efforts to reduce the impact of toxic chemicals on public health and incentivize a green chemistry economy ($65,000).
Physicians for Social Responsibility - Los Angeles will work with other members of the Communication Committee Workgroup within the CHANGE Coalition to update and adapt education materials related to community participation within the Green Chemistry Initiative, specifically for under-represented populations in South Los Angeles and the Central and Inland Valleys. PSR-LA will also organize a green chemistry and economic development roundtable to promote a greater understanding of how green chemistry innovations can bring safer products to market and provide economic development opportunities for low-income communities ($45,000).
Sustainable Technology and Policy Program, UCLA will bring together experts in toxicology, alternatives assessment, decision analysis and policy to develop regulatory alternatives analysis methodologies. The program will also create practical software tools for identifying safer substitutes for consumer products that contain chemical hazards ($64,050).
Safe Children's Products
PHT distributed funds related to this settlement for a Toy Testing and Outreach Fund that will support 1) projects to monitor compliance with limitations on lead in children's products in California, and 2) outreach programs to inform the public about recalls of children's products. Six grants were made.
Center for Environmental Health for continued testing of children's products for lead. CEH will purchase products from major and discount retailers in California through 2010, conduct screening tests with an XRF fluorescence analyzer and facilitate additional laboratory testing of some products. In addition, CEH will offer testing of children's products on a drop-in basis at its offices in Oakland. CEH will work in partnership with The Ecology Center, which manages the healthytoys.org and healthystuff.org websites ($90,000).
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership for a project to educate the public about the dangers of lead exposure in children and help parents navigate the complex maze of information on product safety, recalls and prevention strategies. The project will combine a media campaign with direct-to-consumer outreach though community networks of peer-to-peer educators and public health professionals (80,000).
Center for Environmental Health for for a project to raise awareness regarding lead in children's products in nine Bay Area counties. The project will use a multi-pronged outreach strategy to raise awareness utilizing popular education workshops in conjunction with toy testing, county lead poisoning prevention program outreach and media events. This project will be conducted in partnership with the Get The Lead Out Coalition led by Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program
($70,000).
Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries, Inc. for the Fresno County Safe Children's Products program, which will provide outreach and education to refugee and immigrant families as well as retail and re-sale markets on the effects of lead exposure on children. The project will disseminate information about free testing/screening events and about recalled products, and give parents and others the information they need to choose safe consumer products for their children. This program will be carried out in partnership with Centro La Familia, Inc.($70,000).
Center for Environmental Health for a project to test toys for lead and raise public awareness about the problem of lead in certain toys. In addition to testing toys currently being sold by major retailers, CEH's project includes opportunities for consumers to bring toys to designated locations for testing ($90,000).
Folsom Cordova Community Partnership to develop and produce print-ready, web-accessible and other media tools to be used in outreach and education efforts to inform the public about the issue of lead in children's products. This grant is a partnership with the Ecology Center, a Michigan-based nonprofit environmental organization, which maintains the website www.healthytoys.org that offers consumers a guide to toxic chemicals in toys and other children's products (100,000).
Unlawful Distribution of Smokeless Tobacco Products on Public Grounds
The University of California, San Francisco - Office of Sponsored Research to monitor and study smokeless tobacco marketing activities and develop and test counter messages to discourage use of smokeless tobacco among non-tobacco users and smokers who might otherwise quit ($134,000).
