Dear {First Name}:
As many of you know, California is in the midst of another record-setting wildfire season. Each year, this "season" feels hotter, more destructive, and more widespread - and while all residents in the state are feeling the effects, the devastation is touching many of the communities that can afford it the least.
While our hearts and minds are with all of those communities impacted, we also want to take this moment to celebrate and lift up the many organizations coming to the aid of people in need, not just in response to the fires, but also in response to the ongoing battle against COVID-19.
One group that serves as a great model for community-centered emergency response is our 2021 winner of the Leighton Memorial Grant Award, Neighbors Together for Good. I hope you will read the announcement below and learn about how this wonderful collaborative of local organizations in the far northwest of CA, came together to aid the most vulnerable and isolated members of their community.
As a grantmaking organization, we hope to ignite and uncover more of this type of collaboration and creative thinking in emergency and prehospital care. To that end, we recently announced a new grants program, the Transformations & Innovations Initiative - where we invest $3 million over the next three years to spark innovation in the field and transform how individuals and communities, particularly residents who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color (BIPOC) experience emergency and prehospital care in California. More information, including how to apply for this new grant can be found below.
In community and partnership,
Tanir
|
|
CARESTAR Announces New Grants Program
Transformations & Innovations in Emergency and Prehospital Care
|
The CARESTAR Foundation is pleased to announce a new grants program called the 'Transformations & Innovations Initiative'.
Through this initiative, CARESTAR will invest $3 million over three years to support the development (or ongoing work) of multi-agency collaboratives across California intended to spark innovation in the field and transform how individuals and communities - particularly residents who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color - engage, receive, experience, and/or recover from emergency and prehospital care.
We hope you will take a moment to consider this initiative for your own organization and/or forward this information on to any colleagues you think would be eligible and interested.
The deadline to submit projects for funding consideration is 5pm PDT on September 10.
|
|
|
|
Neighbors Together for Good Receives 2021 Leighton Memorial Grant Award |
Congratulations to Neighbors Together for Good, a grassroots coalition of organizations including True North Organizing Network, Del Norte Senior Center, and Del Norte Office of Emergency Services!
The group was selected for its collaborative approach and community-centered emergency response during the COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2020, after the state-wide coronavirus shelter-in-place order was announced, the three organizations quickly came together and started to conduct wellness checks and provide emergency food and medication to those in need.
“We are so pleased to award the 2021 Leighton Memorial Grant Award to Neighbors Together for Good for all they have done to support their local community during a time of such uncertainty and need,” said Tanir Ami, chief executive officer of the CARESTAR Foundation.
“Particularly impressive was the coalition’s ability to pool resources and expertise from key stakeholders ranging from nonprofits, local government, community leaders, and neighborhood volunteers to serve a population that we know has been disproportionately affected by COVID-19. The fact that this work has led to a formal development of the region’s local emergency response capabilities really made them stand out with the selection committee." Learn more
|
|
EMS 'should absolutely be an essential service'
On a recent episode of Last Week Tonight, the comedian and host John Oliver used humor, history, and some eye-opening facts to explain how emergency medical services (EMS) function in the U.S., why they can be so expensive, and what should be done to fix things.
|
Video courtesy of Last Week Tonight/HBO |
|
What We're Seeing & Reading
Black and Latino L.A. firefighters call for investigation of alleged racial bias, other wrongdoing
Leaders of two organizations of Black and Latino members of the Los Angeles Fire Department have called for a federal investigation into what they allege is widespread racial bias and other wrongdoing in the agency’s treatment of employees.. Los Angeles Times
Eugene, Oregon, Police Chief: Sending Unarmed Crisis Specialists On Mental Health Calls Saves Lives
Police departments across the country are re-routing funds to unarmed crisis teams that respond to situations like suicide threats, substance abuse calls and welfare checks. WBUR
Seeding Innovation and Racial Equity in EMS
Our CEO on diversifying the prehospital care workforce and improving health outcomes for all Californians. EMS1
California prison inmates become a critical resource for fighting wildfires
California faces a shortage of firefighters, a scenario that's bringing new attention to a critical firefighting resource: prison inmates. PBS News Hour
|
|
Like what you see? Share our newsletter! |
|
Our Mission: To improve health outcomes for all Californians, we use a racial equity lens to fund and advocate for improvements to our emergency response system.
Our Vision: All Californians experience an emergency response system that is equitable, unified, and compassionate. The lives of people touched by trauma or injury dramatically improve because they receive the appropriate care, services and supports they need to heal and prevent re-injury.
|
|
©2021 CARESTAR Foundation. All rights reserved. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
