Promoting health, healing, education and economic well-being

At A Glance is a bi-weekly news recap highlighting WKKF grantees, investments, communities and partnerships.

As WKKF health grantees in Haiti continue to battle the coronavirus, their commitment to care and adaptation continue to attract media attention. Partners in Health’s Graciela Cadet recently shared in her radio interview with The World’sElana Gordon about the stigmatization of COVID-19 patients and those trying to heal them, as well as how the problem is being addressed in Haiti.   

Meanwhile, communities in southern Mexico are still feeling the effects of floods from tropical storms that hit earlier this summer. According to Punto Medio, residents are experiencing flood-related illnesses and shortages of food and medicine. However, aid has reportedly reached thousands of families, for which the article credits support from WKKF and other organizations including WKKF grantee Fundación Mexicana de Apoyo Infantil, Fundación Bepensa, Fundación MERFA – as well as scores of individuals.

Many consider water fundamental and think of it as readily available. But that’s not the case for 2 million Americans who live without safe running water in their homes. And it’s availability is critical during a pandemic. CBS Sunday Morning highlights that issue in covering the efforts of DigDeep, a WKKF grantee working in partnership with Navajo Nation where 40% of homes don’t have access to clean running water at home, to build a training program for water and solar technicians and plumbing apprentices. 

As the nationwide challenge of recruiting new teachers is compounded by COVID-19, budget cuts and new priorities, New American Foundation released an analysis of Grow Your Own Teachers: A 50-State Scan of Policies and Programs. The report details the most popular local teacher recruitment strategies to solve teacher shortages, increase retention, and increase racial and linguistic diversity. Mississippi’s state-run teacher residency program is one example featured in New America’s report.  This WKKF-funded teacher residency pilot blends coursework, mentorship and in-classroom experience to increase the number of teachers of color from 27% to 35% to help improve the learning experiences of students of color.

According to a survey by Global Strategy Group, only 12% of Black and Latinx businesses that sought federal aid in response to COVID-19 received the assistance requested. In Grand Rapids, Michigan, WKKF’s investee, Rende Progress Capital – a racial equity-oriented emerging community development financial institution – is addressing the relief funding gap by deploying flexible loans to businesses owned by people of color.

Finally, join the party on Thurs., July 30, beginning at 6 p.m. ET, when the #MyFamilyCounts virtual 2020 Census Party kicks off for families across the US! From tutorials in how to complete the census to sing-alongs for kids, WKKF’s racial equity anchor institutions (Advancement Project, Asian Pacific Islander American Health Forum, Demos, Faith in Action, NAACP, National Congress of American Indian, National Urban League, Unidos and RaceForward) are hosting this important event to make all families count.