Friday, May 9, 2025
5/9/2025
Community Action to Prevent Lead Poisoning - This project will serve the low-income, minority, Spanish-speaking population of Pima Country, which is primarily located in southern metropolitan Tucson. Sonora Environmental Research Institute, Inc. (SERI) has served this community for over 29 years through meaningful involvement from the community in all of stages of its projects from planning to implementation. The targeted area is the ZIP codes 85705, 85706, 85711, 86713, 85714, 85716, 85719, 85745, 85746 and 85756. All the targeted ZIP codes are designated High Risk Lead Poisoning Zip Codes by the Arizona Department of Health Services Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Plan 2018 Arizona Targeted Lead Screening Plan. These ZIP codes align with census tracts defined as “disadvantaged” in Justice40 framework, because they meet more than 1 burden threshold and the associated socioeconomic threshold from the Climate and Economic Justice Tool. The community is underserved and in need of lead poisoning education and services, because much of the population is low-income, has limited English proficiency, lives in High Risk Lead Poisoning Zip Codes, has a high percentage of children under age 5, and lives in the oldest housing stock in Pima County. The purpose of this project is to reduce risk of lead poisoning, increase prevention of lead poisoning and increase access to resources and services in the underserved community. Specifically, the project seeks to build a new Community Champion program to re-invigorate community efforts after the COVID-19 pandemic and expand lead poisoning awareness and prevention throughout the community. Engaged Community Champions, along with SERI staff, will reach additional families who can be brought into the LHCP and have lead safe homes. The project will also develop and implement a clay cookware replacement program for low-income families, a significant source of exposure in our community. The strategies, activate the community, improve access to services, and educate the community will be highly effective to expand awareness and increase effective prevention of lead poisoning in the community. The outcome from activating the community through training and dispersing 50 Community Champions will be increased capacity for prevention and improved coordination of community prevention programming through more cross-sector partnering. The outcome from increasing access to services will be increased referrals for services and availability to lead hazard control assessments, blood lead screening and testing services. The cookware replacement program will minimize and mitigate the risk and lead poisoning in communities. Educating the community will produce the outcomes of increased awareness and knowledge and potential mitigation. Community activation and program coordination through these strategies and outcomes will promote reduced risk of lead exposure in the underserved community. Our experience in providing workshops and training, mobilizing community action, improving access and establishing innovative response, referral, and mitigation programs will produce an enduring community network of activism that is critical to achieving the outcome of less lead poisoning in this low-income, high-risk community.
HHS’ Tracking Accountability in Government Grants System (TAGGS) website provides access to detailed descriptions of grants, loans, aggregated direct payments and other types of financial assistance awarded by the HHS Operating Divisions (OPDIVs) and the Office of the Secretary Staff Divisions (STAFFDIVs).