Champions for storytelling, health equity and funding

Sharing stories is powerful. Just recently, 60 Minutes featured how One Small Step is helping bridge political divides through face-to-face-conversations. The program grew out of StoryCorps, a former WKKF grantee that captures unscripted conversations between people across the U.S. The 60 Minutes story mentioned Albert Sykes, a Community Leadership Network Class Two fellow from Mississippi, who recorded a conversation with his then-9-year-old son Aidan at WKKF’s Young Men and Boys of Color convening. 

On March 31, WKKF grantee Jim Ansara was given the 2022 ENR Award of Excellence for his dedication to building “sustainable and resilient medical infrastructure in resource-starved regions around the world.” Ansara, a successful contractor-turned-humanitarian, has worked alongside the late Paul Farmer and other health equity champions, building facilities as an enduring reflection of respect for the humanity of those they serve. 

WKKF grantee Population Council Mexico has recent and upcoming studies on the social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. In October, WKKF grantee the Population Council Mexico’s online survey of almost 56,000 young people showed increases in violence, drug abuse and psychological problems among segments of the population during the pandemic. They are launching another survey to look at cyberbullying and violence experienced by adolescents. Earlier this year, the Population Council Mexico and fellow grantee Cohesión Comunitaria e Innovación Social published a study funded by WKKF examining various impacts of the pandemic on young women and girls in Yucatán, in areas including education, mental health, sexual health and violence. The report includes recommendations based on survey results of almost 1,200 participants. 

Leveraging philanthropic funding is a critical approach to sustaining nonprofit efforts. On March 23, Mackenzie Scott released a list of organizations she had donated to, including several WKKF grantees in the U.S. such as DigDeep, Trust for America’s Health, National Compadres Network, National Collaborative on Health Equity, Community Catalyst and Clean Slate. Internationally, the Baobá Fund for Racial Equity was among the beneficiaries. The Baobá Fund was created with an endowment match-funded by WKKF in collaboration with activists and thought leaders from various Brazilian civil society organizations. Scott describes her intent “to support the needs of underrepresented people.” 

Michigan State University’s Center for Regional Food Systems recently released the ninth edition of the resource An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System. This updated edition now has 510 citations that explore structural racism across the national food system and in specific food sectors and geographies. The bibliography is used by food and health practitioners, activists, scholars, educators, authors and students, and is funded in part by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.