Greensboro Public Library 1

The Montagnard Health Initiative

1.Users and Needs: The Montagnard refugee population, in North Carolina, according to a 2010 publication by the Montagnard Healthcare Assistance Project, reaches from 7000 to 9000 in population. Other publications say the statistics are lower at 5000, but other claims reach higher to nearly 10,000 Montagnards in the piedmont area alone. The Montagnards are actually several different tribes and peoples that, although having their own distinct customs and even languages, share their roots in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. Many of the Montagnards refer to themselves as the Dega, because of the negative connotation and history of French Colonization associated with the term Montagnard. Being proU.S. during the Vietnam Conflict, the Montagnards were persecuted by the Communist Regime. The Montagnard community is diverse, even within the Greensboro area. With over 30 different distinct Montagnard languages spoken, four are primarily spoken in the Greensboro area. Rhade is the most common language in the Piedmont area, but Jerai, Koho, and Mnong are also very common. The Montagnard community was chosen for several reasons. The most obvious reason is that the community is so large within the Greensboro area. It is a substantial number, as we saw with predictions from anywhere to 3,000 in the community, to nearly 10,000 in the piedmont/Guilford County area. The second reason we are choosing this population is because there is already a support network around this community. The Glenwood Branch Library currently provides ESOL and conversational English training for many people in the Montagnard community, as well as speakers of other languages as well. The Montagnard Dega Association is already providing language training Mondays through Thursdays from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM as well as a session on Friday from 9:30 AM to 11:00 AM dedicated to job help and preparation. Additionally, there are people already trying to help with the issue, such as the Montagnard Health Care Assistance Project and its parent organization, Save the Montagnard People. These organizations are not alone, but organizations such as Church Word Services and the North Carolina Division of Social Services Refugee Assistance Program are also currently working diligently to help the Montagnard community within North Carolina.

Greensboro Public Library 2 The third reason we chose the Montagnard community is because the threat to their health is real and tangible. The older Montagnards who came directly from Vietnam can suffer from Post traumatic stress even today, along with cancerous diseases believed to be a result of chemicals used during the Vietnam War. Current issues include finding accessible healthcare through Medicaid benefits or access to healthcare once a job is procured, jobs that are often low income. Disease prevention and overall health, including proper nutrition, is also a key component to the Montagnard community health. One researcher, Margeaux Rose Cornby of Elon University, found that many Montagnards do not understand the western healthcare system, and have several dietary issues as well that cause disease such as diabetes and obesity. The reason why we should provide these resources, combined with the current ESOL training, is to give the Montagnard families and their children current access to healthcare resources, and also promoting the library as a resource in general for the use of this community. If the Montagnard community grows with Greensboro and forms a relationship with the library, then they will turn to the library as a source for educational needs more often, and will also be an example to other refugee and minority groups in the area. 2. Project Description: The Montagnard Community Health Initiative, is a collaboration between Greensboro Public Library, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and North Carolina Agriculture and Technical State University, and the Montagnard Dega Association. Headed by a committee comprised of librarians at Greensboro Public Library, students and faculty of the UNCGreensboro Public Health Department, students and faculty of the joint Masters of Social Work from both from UNCG and NC A&T, faculty from the NC A&Ts School of Agriculture and Environmental Science and finally, the members of the Montagnard Dega Association. This initiative will use a multidisciplinary approach to look at the overall health of the Montagnard community of Greensboro over a long period of time. The project is based out of the Greensboro Public Library, and its several branches within the city. Of particular importance to the project is the Glenwood Branch Library. This branch currently holds the Multicultural Resource Center and is the location for ESOL learning. Currently, many Montagnards come for conversational classes, but we would like to purchase some basic language material dictionaries and reference books in the various different Montagnard languages. The Montagnard community will not be limited to this branch, as with other patrons, they will be allowed at any branch. Efforts will be made to make the healthcare information created available at all Greensboro library branches, as well as the libraries of UNC-Greensboro, NC A&T, and also at the Montagnard Dega Association and other agencies aforementioned. The project will also be mobile. Using the bookmobile owned by the Greensboro Public Library, the Montagnard Health Initiative will take the health resources into known, specific Montagnard communities such as northeast Greensboro. Working with NC A&T and their already use of the Montagnards in their fields, we will take the resources to these Montagnards as well as use the bookmobile to help take the harvests picked by the Montagnards back to their community. We will also hold special sessions for the Montagnards at the Montagnard Dega Association in Greensboro and at the New Central Highlands of the Save the Montagnard organization in Asheboro, NC.

Greensboro Public Library 3 One of the projects goals is to develop collection for resources at the McGirt-Horton Branch Library, which is closer to many of the Montagnard communities in northeast Greensboro. The specific grant money will be used to help create several resources, including instructional DVDs focusing on health related issues. DVDs and audiovisual resources are important to create because many Montagnard people are preliterate, meaning they speak their language, but do not have written knowledge of it. A series of pamphlets on health related issues will be created. These issues will discuss issues such as finding insurance coverage, understanding western medical practices, American dietary issues and nutrition, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, mental illness, overall disease prevention, and the resources that are available to them within Greensboro, Asheboro, Guilford County, and all over North Carolina. Pamphlets will have side by side information in the different Montagnard languages as well as English, that way Montagnards, or their children, can read the health information if they are literate. Finally, the project will develop a permanent website that will house current and correct information that will be updated regularly with health information in the various Montagnard languages and English. This website will be maintained by Greensboro Public Library and select members of the Montagnard Dega Association. 3. Library Goals: Greensboro Public Libraries mission is to In partnership with the community, the Greensboro Public Library strives to provide free and equal access to information, foster lifelong learning, and inspire the joys of reading. Greensboro Public Library is dedicated to that mission of providing free and equal access alongside the community. The community is not just the people we see every day at the library, but also those who are out working or maybe do not have necessary resources needed, like many of the Montagnard families yet to have. One of UNC-Greensboros goals is to provide leadership in information literacy programs and instructional technologies. Another goal is to embrace and enhance diversity throughout the University's constituencies, culture, curriculum and outreach activities. NC A&T is a pioneer in education to minorities. It is one of the oldest Historically Black Universities in the country, and understands the need for education to underserved populations. The proposed project promotes both literacy and outreach in several ways. We are aiming to create health resources that will provide a community with information previously not in their languages. We are helping a community that is part of the at-large Greensboro community that all of the organizations involved in are wanting to aid. The project will promote libraries as a resource to a diverse community, previously not served very well. The way the project relates to LSTAs goals is very simple. The third goal is to promote equal access to 21st century library services for all North Carolinians by providing contemporary and evolving technologies to our states libraries through programs designed to address infrastructure, resources, and services. Our resources will promote newer technologies and addresses a real health need. The first goal of LSTA is to Enrich the lives of North Carolinians through enhanced and targeted programs and services in our libraries that address the needs of specific audiences. The target audience is well defined, in need, and some major support from the community is already available. This proves that this project will be a sustainable effort by the community.

Greensboro Public Library 4 4. Project Goals and Outcomes: Our project will design resources to meet health information needs of the Piedmont region Montagnard community. We will meet the needs of the community by providing audiovisual resources for preliterate Montagnard peoples who cannot read their own language. We will provide pamphlets with the various Montagnard languages side-by-side as well as English. These pamphlets, along with the ESOL training available through the Montagnard Dega Association , Greensboro Public Library, and other organizations, will not only promote health literacy, but literacy of ones language and of English in the Montagnard community. The most important result the project would like to see is health literacy among the Montagnard community. This is shown in various ways. One of the ways is an understanding of health coverage. The project would like to see the Montagnard community find affordable health coverage if they are employed, and understand their Medicaid benefits if they are not employed. The results should be real and substantial, with an understanding of nutritional issues, resources for PTSD and other older members of the community with diseases from Vietnam, and understanding of western preventative medicinal practices such as yearly checkups. 5. Project Activities: The website will be created in the first month of the project. It will be updated regularly with current health information, news on the project, and all of our created materials in the Montagnard languages and English. We will also post the short health films on the website when we are finished with them. The project that we will primarily focus resources on will be the production of DVD resources. Greensboro Public Library and the Montagnard Dega Association will use members of the ESOL courses, along with the MSW students and faculty of UNCG and NC A&T, and also the students and faculty of the Public Health department, will all help produce the health DVDs. There will be five DVDs created. They will be on health information access, nutrition, western medicinal practices, health insurance coverage, and preventative health issues. A DVD will be created every month for five months, starting in September and ending in January. The first two weeks of the month should be spent planning and writing the information, and the second two weeks of the month will focus on filming. The pamphlets will take the longest time. They will need to be carefully handled as the translations need to be accurate. They will follow the same topical structure as the DVDs. They should be started immediately and last until the end of the project, when they will be distributed. Overall, the committee members are responsible for the production of all materials, but full responsibility lies on the Greensboro Public Library committee members of the Montagnard Health Initiative. 6. Benefits to Users: This project is not the first of its kind. Heartland Health Alliance Refugee Outreach Programs is a project in Illinois that won a grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health to provide the same type of support and resources for refugee communities. Other groups such as the Refugee Health Information Network of the National Library of Medicine are also working to end the healthcare problems of refugees.

Greensboro Public Library 5 The benefits to users are immense. They will get both audiovisual and written sources for use. They will have access to a website that will promote all information created, as well as links to other resources available. The website will continue to run after all DVDs and pamphlets are passed out or shown, and will continue to provide information after the project is done, making it part of a long term commitment to serving the Montagnard people. The committee is comprised of various talented people. They will discuss issues of the project for the entire summer of 2012, and the first 2 months of the project will be to continue to develop relationships with the Montagnard community in ESOL classes or through community outreach, and the multidisciplinary approach of preparing the resources will be discussed by the various individuals of the committee. The public health and social work professionals will be informing the librarians and ESOL teachers of various health resources, and the librarians, ESOL teachers, and the Montagnard Dega Association will be preparing linguistic tools and resources. 7. Evaluation: The Montagnard Health Initiative will follow up with several of the regular ESOL learners. The primary way of viewing our results will be through follow up interviews with the Montagnard community after they have received resources. The project is about building relationships as much as it is offering some new access to information. We will document what the Montagnard people said they thought was useful, and what information they did not find useful. We will be able to track statistics of the website, as well as see how many pamphlets are given away each month in the ESOL classes or through the agencies such as the Montagnard Dega Association or Save the Montagnards. Using these statistics, we will see if our information is being used. We will also be involved in promoting local health clinics and be able to see if the Montagnard people we serve come out to those events. 8. CIPA Certification and Compliance: As the duly authorized representative of the applicant library, I hereby certify that the library is (check only one of the following boxes) A. CIPA Compliant (The applicant library has complied with the requirements of Section 9134(f)(1) of the Library Services and Technology Act.) OR B. _ The CIPA requirements do not apply because no funds made available under the LSTA program are being used to purchase computers to access the Internet, or to pay for direct costs associated with accessing the Internet.
Signature of Authorized Representative Stephen Henry Sonnenberg Printed Name of Authorized Representative Stephen Henry Sonnenberg Title of Authorized Representative Library Director Date 4/16/2012 Name of Applicant Library/Program Greensboro Public Library / Montagnard Health Initiative

Greensboro Public Library 6 9. Matching Funds: Having lots of community support, and many organizations teamed up for one project, it is obvious that there is financial support as well. All four organizations with members on the Montagnard Health Initiative committee (Greensboro Public Library, UNCG, NC A&T, and the Montagnard Dega Association) have all set apart $1000 towards the project. This will match the 25 percent requirement of the amount we are asking for, $20,000. 10. Equipment Specifications:

Equipment Type (computer, laptop, tablet, printer, etc.) or Software

Make

Model

Processor Speed (GHz)

RAM

Graphics Monitor Other

(MB or GB) Processor Type/Size

Video Camera Canon VIXIA HF G10 Camcorder

32 GB 1920x

$1291.00 From Amazon

1080

TV

Coby TF-DVD2395

1080p 23 inch $220.00 From Amazon

Dell Copier/Scan

3335DN

500MHz

$1,111.17 From Amazon

11. Budget: The Greensboro Public Library will be the ones responsible for purchasing all materials, as well as retain the rights to those materials purchased after the grant is project is through. The materials purchased will be directly related to helping produce or distribute the health related materials. These items, along with travel expenses, and salaries for temporary student health the library will hire, will be the basis of how the grant is spent. This includes two bulletin board end panels to be bought for the Montagnard resources to be placed at the Glenwood Branch Library and the McGirt-Horton branch library. Technology will be a major expense for the project. A copier/scanner will be bought for the project to solely be focused on materials associated with the health initiative. A new HD camcorder will be bought to produce the best quality videos, and to only be used for this project, and not by other patrons of the library or for other library projects while this one is underway. A portable television set with a built in DVD player will be purchased to show the DVDs when the project uses the bookmobile in the community. Blank DVDs will be purchased and given to

Greensboro Public Library 7 those in the community who have access to televisions. A website domain name must be purchased as well. HP Brochure and Flyer Paper will be purchased for all of the brochures and pamphlets. These will provide a sleek, modern look, and the glossy paper will hold up to weather such as water better than regular paper would. On top of the team of professionals, the team will hire three current UNCG students. One student will handle the website and movie aspects, one will help with the movie and handle the pamphlets and brochures, and one grad student of the with a TESOL program will help with both of those aspects of the production of materials as well as ensuring the best translation efforts are being put forth. These grad students will get $2000 per semester, or $4000 a year. Additional help may be hired for translation issues. The final expense will be in transportation costs. $250 a month will be set aside for transportation of the bookmobile to locations in the area. Student and faculty travel expenses will not be paid, however, and come out of their own budget.
CATEGORY

QUANTITY

UNIT COST

LSTA $

MATCH $

TOTAL $

A. Equipment

$1291.00 $2622.17 1 of each: $220.00 Camcorder, $1,111.17 TV, Copier 2 Bulletin Board Panel $307.00 $614.00

$2622.17

$614.00

B. Library Materials

$1059.91 C. Salary/benefits 4 (Head committee member of Greensboro Public Library, UNCG, NC A&T, and Montagnard Dega Association) 3 D. Contractual Services $25.19 E. Supplies/postage/printing 5 DVD Hundred Packs $4000

$4239.64

$4239.64

$8000.00 $125.19

$4000.00

$12,000.00 $1524.19

Greensboro Public Library 8

100 50 piece HP Brochure Paper F: Other Supplies G: Final Project Expenses Bookmobile Travel

$13.99

$1399.00

$3000.00 $24,000

$3000.00 $20,000 $4,000

$3000.00 $24,000