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Barriers Preventing Communities from Addressing Environmental Concerns

CST 462S: Race, Gender, Class in the Digital World (Spring 2021)

Erica Hicks, Bryce Randolph, and Peter Zed

February 23, 2021

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Barriers Preventing Communities from Addressing Environmental Concerns

Some of the most pressing issues the world is facing today are related to the environment.

Our team’s goal is to examine the barriers that are preventing these issues from being addressed

within different groups of people. We believe that there is a general lack of knowledge and

actionable information on many of these issues and that awareness can be raised through

technological means. In addition to this, we hypothesize that people belonging to lower

socioeconomic classes are disproportionately affected by a lack of hands-on curriculum featuring

these topics. We aim to investigate how technology can help nonprofit organizations like the

ones we are volunteering at to educate others and create a sense of togetherness to tackle

environmental issues head on. We believe that we can relate our own experiences with research

articles supporting the importance of technology as a means of bridging the gap between

different communities for a common goal of helping the planet.

Literature Review

A large barrier that impedes the educating of the public on environmental issues is the

fragmentation of society into small social groups (Ablah et al., 2016). Technology can bridge the

gap between different racial, socioeconomic, and ideological groups by giving a voice to

underrepresented citizens and dispelling disinformation through educational campaigns (Ablah et

al., 2016). One of the studies that is relevant to our topic is one funded by an EPA grant and

conducted primarily by an Associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and

Public Health at the University of Kansas. The authors Ablah, Brown, Carroll, and Bronleewe

(2016) establish an effective model of disseminating information regarding environmental issues

such as water or air pollution to the public using methods ranging from educational videos and

web sites to town hall type meetings.

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In some cases, having access to information does not result in a community's behavioral

engagement with environmental issues. General awareness and desire to engage are frequently

constrained by a perceived inability to take action. According to Sutton and Tobin (2011), this

lack of knowledge about relevant actions individuals can take is the most significant barrier

preventing communities from addressing environmental concerns. Furthermore, in “Constraints

on community engagement” they claim that other factors such as an individual's age, gender,

education level, income, place of residence—all affect the extent to which the perceived inability

to take action limits that individual’s behavioral engagement with environmental issues (2011).

While the article suggests that identifying specific actions an individual can take would help

reduce the effects of climate change in the community the authors researched, further conceptual

and empirical work is needed to be able to apply the same conclusion in other communities. This

study is included to highlight a major barrier in addressing environmental concerns, namely the

lack of actionable information in communities affected by these concerns.

Much of the literature on barriers to communities addressing environmental issues

centers less on technology than the psychology behind risk assessment and behavior.

Environmental concern can be defined as a combination of our knowledge, feelings, and

behavior which, as Tákacs-Sánta (2007) points out, are not all positively correlated (p. 27). More

knowledge on environmental issues does not lead to more action if there are no strong feelings of

worry or personal concern to motivate behavior changes (Tákacs-Sánta, 2007, p. 27). There is a

disconnect for many people between knowing about an issue and doing something about it.

Other psychological models used to predict behavior and evaluate the effectiveness of public

policies and public messaging include the value-belief-norm theory (people’s values and beliefs

surrounding the consequences of their actions determine their behavior norms), the protection-
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motivation framework (negatively framed messaging’s effectiveness at prompting action in

response to a threat), and the social amplification framework (why the response to some risks are

amplified while others are muted for social and psychological reasons) (Tákacs-Sánta, 2007, p.

28). These theories also predict what won’t work and what has become a barrier to

environmentalism efforts.

Technology both provides certain possible solutions and, unfortunately, contributes to the

problems in addressing environmental issues as described in “Barriers to Environmental

Concern'' which identified 21 barriers (Tákacs-Sánta, 2007, p. 29). Among them, "The

Distancing Effect of Information Technology'', as it is described by Tákacs-Sánta (2007, p. 30),

refers to how direct experience motivates better than indirect experience which is a problem

since more and more we experience the world through a screen. A stronger point the paper

doesn’t extrapolate to is how technology in general, not just information technology, but

plumbing, transportation, infrastructure, and all modern comforts isolate us from the ecosystems

we depend on, so we don’t see the strain we are putting on them. Technology also amplifies the

voices of the rich with access to media while suppressing the voices of the poor, so “The Most

Afflicted are the Least Able to Make their Voices Heard'' (Tákacs-Sánta, 2007, p. 32). The rich

can afford to move away from areas affected by environmental issues like contamination,

flooding, drought, or hurricanes, so often do not feel the effects as acutely nor see the urgency in

changing the status quo. Other barriers identified by Tákacs-Sánta (2007) included “faith in

technology” and “faith in the current political and economic system” (p. 34). As the saying goes,

“we cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. While

the paper is from 2007 and is outdated in terms of its reflection on the media’s role, it is

important to note the media, and now social media, still serve a large role in guiding public
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concern both positively and negatively. The paper’s synthesis of contemporary research on

environmental concern contributes to our understanding of our topic by describing

psychological, social, and technological barriers to communicating to the public the need for

environmental behavior change.

Research Question

How can technology be used effectively to inform individuals about the actions they can

take to address environmental concerns in their community?

Research Design

● What outreach methods have been most effective in sharing environmental issues with

the community?

● What do you think is holding back your community from taking action on environmental

issues?

● How do you use technology to communicate your nonprofit's message?

● How are people in the community generally introduced to your nonprofit? Can you think

of any recent examples?

● How do you adapt your outreach efforts to different audiences?

a. If your site doesn't currently do this, how may adapting your efforts to different

audiences impact your outreach?

● What public policy changes would you suggest that could benefit the cause you serve?

Our target research participant audience is any nonprofit members who currently are or

were responsible for the community outreach efforts in the past. We will inquire with the site

supervisor and ask them to forward our research questions to whoever is in charge of community

outreach. Specifically, we will send an email with an introduction describing our research
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project, and will include a link to the Google Forms document. Our team’s response deadline is

the end of week 5.

Service Organizations

The Ruth Bancroft Garden and Nursery is a 3.5 acre property that is located in Walnut

Creek, California (Ruth Bancroft Garden, 2021a). Ruth Bancroft and her husband Phillip owned

the land since 1939 and in the 1950s Ruth became very interested in drought-tolerant plants, and

amassed a sizable collection of potted succulents (Ruth Bancroft Garden, 2021a). Eventually the

collection became so large that Bancroft, in collaboration with a local nursery, created a network

of pathways and garden beds to better showcase her plants (Ruth Bancroft Garden, 2021a). In the

following decades this site has been visited by many plant enthusiasts, and eventually became

the inspiration for the Garden Conservancy in the late 1980s (Ruth Bancroft Garden, 2021a).

Garden Conservancy is a nonprofit organization established to preserve significant American

gardens, and the Ruth Bancroft Garden became its first project. Today the garden is a 501(c)(3)

nonprofit that serves to educate others on the importance of water-conserving gardens, and offers

free admission to children who are eager to play and learn there (Ruth Bancroft Garden, 2021b).

In addition, the nonprofit offers field trips and adult education classes. Their mission is related to

our question because they seek to empower and educate their local community on environmental

issues, and have an active online presence.

Palomacy is a volunteer-powered nonprofit organization dedicated to rescuing, fostering,

and rehoming domestic pigeons and doves in the San Francisco Bay Area. The organization was

founded in 2007 and since then has placed over 1,400 birds, and helped countless others through

education programs (Palomacy, 2021, para. 10). Palomacy is one of the very few organizations

worldwide that is solely focused on rescuing pigeons and doves (Palomacy, 2021). To raise
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awareness of its cause, Palomacy utilizes a range of online strategies, directly engaging with its

community on social media platforms, posting educational content on its website. The key

element of Palomacy’s mission is promoting bird fostering as a means to cultivating empathy

and empowering its community members to take action in addressing environmental concerns

related to animal advocacy (Palomacy, 2021).

Trellis for Tomorrow is a nonprofit based in Phoenixville, PA, and serves the

Philadelphia area. They are currently doing a full redesign of their donation web tool to generate

more funding and to increase community involvement, and to link to other ways to support

Trellis for Tomorrow. Since it was started in 2002, Trellis for Tomorrow has been running a

wide range of programs for youth and organizations. Their current focus is on youth

development and environmental issues including organic agriculture and the availability of

healthy food throughout the community. Originally run under the name Triskeles, it was

renamed Trellis for Tomorrow in 2018 to better reflect their mission. Some of their youth

programs include the Youth Stewardship Program, which gets youth involved in projects at local

preserves such as trail maintenance, invasive species removal, and planting trees (Trellis for

Tomorrow, 2020b), and the Youth Seed Enterprise, which involves youth in organic agriculture

by providing healthy food options to their local community (Trellis for Tomorrow, 2020c).

Trellis for Tomorrow’s vision is to create “a world in which young people have the skills and

understanding to enrich themselves, their communities and the planet through healthy lifestyles,

meaningful work and participation in a more just and sustainable economy” (Trellis for

Tomorrow, 2020a, para. 2). Trellis for Tomorrow’s programs “work at the intersection of health,

poverty, youth development and economic opportunity with programming based on

understanding the interdependence of these social factors” (Trellis for Tomorrow, 2020a, para.
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6). The site’s mission relates to our research topic because they are environmentally focused and

working to expand their impact.

Findings

One of the themes that we have encountered in our research and interviews was the focus

of these nonprofit organizations on education programs. According to the interviewees, there is a

general lack of awareness in their communities on many important environmental issues: “I

would say that a lack of knowledge about the issues is probably the main thing preventing

action” (B. Steininger, personal communication, Feb. 11, 2021). Two of the site representatives

also mentioned how their public education and awareness efforts require an urgent increase in

government spending (see appendices B and C). Furthemore, all three sites believe that the most

effective method for fostering environmental responsibility in younger people is offering hands-

on programs—an approach severely hindered by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Beyond a lack of knowledge, the interviewees highlighted the lack of motivation their

community members have to act on their environmental concerns. One nonprofit attributed the

reason for this behavior to the fact that there is “[n]o immediate visible result - the instant

gratification factor isn’t there” (M. Sunbury, personal communication, Feb. 9, 2021), while

another nonprofit found that individuals lacked a personal incentive and didn’t see how the issue

affected them personally (see appendices for full text of interviews). Both sites suggested that

individuals felt helpless and believed that there was nothing they personally could do about their

environmental concerns.

Another common theme across all three interviews was that technology plays the key role

in how these nonprofits communicate their message and expand their influence. Regular posts on

a variety of social media platforms, newsletters, website posts—all these tools have a significant
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impact on the ability of nonprofits to stay in touch with their communities. Furthermore,

Palomacy and Ruth Bancroft Garden found success in using more traditional outreach tools, such

as sending postcards and other types of “snail mail” campaigns. Utilizing a range of

communication tools improves nonprofits’ chance of reaching a diverse audience, tailoring both

the message and its delivery method to different groups. For example, according to B. Steininger,

direct mail better serves older audiences, and mobile websites help younger people to access

information on their phones (see the appendices).

A pattern that emerged in these interviews was the individual’s inability to see the big

picture. Some individuals fail to see the positive impact of water-wise landscapes on the

environment, or the impact environmental issues have on their own health, or the cumulative

impact of their seemingly small actions. To counter this motivation gap, two of the nonprofits

have suggested public policy changes that would incentivize some actions and disincentivize

others. For example, using "financial incentives to convert to water-wise landscapes" (M.

Sunbury, personal communication, Feb 8, 2021), and “outlawing[ing] ‘dove releases’ where

domestic birds are ‘released’ at ceremonies” (E. Young, personal communication, Feb. 9, 2021).

Conclusions

The findings in our report point towards the duality of the nature of nonprofit

communication and education initiatives. While all three sites mentioned how integral different

social media and the Internet in general were to their ability to inform members of their

communities, these sites also heavily emphasized the critical importance of hands-on activities

(see appendices for more details). In other words, although technology does help foster a sense

of community, the most impactful experiences require traditional in-person interactions.

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However, during the Covid-19 pandemic technology does offer a crucial way of keeping

nonprofit organizations engaged with their respective communities.

Furthemore, our findings indicate that the most effective approach to cultivating a sense

of agency in individuals is through a combination of technology as well as in-person activities.

Technology—such as social media, blogs, newsletters—can be used to raise awareness and

increase nonprofits’ reach, and in-person activities—such as summer camps, meetups, classes—

can be very effective at strengthening nonprofits’ message and encouraging individuals to take

action. For example, a social media campaign could catch someone’s attention and get them

interested in helping a nonprofit to address a specific environmental issue. To follow up, the

nonprofit could schedule a session that would allow individuals to see the impact of this

environmental concern in person, and instantly act on addressing it.

Our research possibly points towards the difficulties that fully online nonprofits could be

facing: their message is losing some of its effectiveness when compared to a hybrid

online/offline strategy. As individuals frequently necessitate continued encouragement in order

to act on environmental issues, nonprofits will keep seeking the most effective methods of

accomplishing that. A fully online awareness and motivational strategy still falls behind a more

traditional in-person approach. A dual pronged approach can help to address the digital divide

that can leave certain demographics uninformed or feeling left out. Individuals who don’t have

access to the Internet or personal computers can still be involved with a hybrid approach.

Recommendations

Our key recommendation to nonprofit organizations that are focused on environmental

issues is directly influenced by our research and the interviews we conducted. It is critical for

nonprofits to continue experimenting with a hybrid approach that includes both technological
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and more traditional methods. It is, of course, nearly impossible to execute this recommendation

during a global pandemic—so, as a temporary solution, it is in the interest of nonprofits to focus

on assessing different online tools and even try out more conventional methods such as “snail

mail” campaigns.

While these recommendations for improved public awareness campaigns based on our

findings are relevant, still further research is needed. To paint a more complete picture of how

technology can be used effectively to inform individuals on ways of addressing environmental

concerns, further themes need to be explored. If given the opportunity to interview nonprofits

again, we would ask the following additional questions:

● How do you measure your impact? How can you tell that what you are doing is working

or not working? What does success look like for your nonprofit?

● Do you see the environmental issues you are addressing getting better, worse, or staying

the same? How and why are these issues or concerns changing?

● How does your nonprofit balance providing emergency relief with prevention efforts?

Which one is your main focus and why?

Our original interview questions assumed that these nonprofits have an effective way of

measuring the impact of their efforts on the environmental issues they are addressing. Only by

measuring their impact would we be able to compare different methods used for communication.

In addition, understanding different levels of impact and different amounts of resources needed

to accomplish these impacts would allow us to gauge the relative effectiveness of different

approaches (for example, social media campaigns vs “snail mail” campaigns) and their long-term

impact. More research is needed to identify how these nonprofits use technology to accomplish

their mission and make long-term changes.

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It is possible that a major limiting factor of the nonprofit organizations we have

interviewed is their focus on relief efforts, rather than on amending the current legislation or

other projects with a long-term effect. The relief work that these nonprofits are providing is of

course very impactful and admirable. However, our recommendation is to dedicate more efforts

to harnessing public support for policy changes. Nonprofits are capable of incentivizing long-

term changes, raising awareness of environmental issues, and putting more pressure on the local

government in order to influence new legislation. At the state level, public school curriculum can

be adapted to put more emphasis on the environmental sciences. In addition, an increased

funding for public school field trips would be a great way to introduce more children to hands-on

activities that are critical to raising awareness and advocacy for the environment and animal

welfare.
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References

Ablah, E., Brown, J., Carroll, B., & Bronleewe, T. (2016). A Community-Based Participatory

Research Approach to Identifying Environmental Concerns. Journal of Environmental

Health, 79(5), 14-19. doi:10.2307/26330577

Palomacy. (2021). What is Palomacy? Retrieved from

https://www.pigeonrescue.org/about/what-is-palomacy/

Ruth Bancroft Garden. (2021-a). About Ruth Bancroft. Retrieved from

https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/about/ruth-bancroft/

Ruth Bancroft Garden. (2021-b). Visit. Retrieved from

https://www.ruthbancroftgarden.org/visit/

Sutton, S. G., Tobin, R. C. (2011). Constraints on community engagement with Great Barrier

Reef climate change reduction and mitigation. Global Environmental Change, 21(3),

894-905. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.05.006

Takács-Sánta, A. (2007). Barriers to Environmental Concern. Human Ecology Review, 14(1), 26-

38. Retrieved January 27, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/2470764

Trellis for Tomorrow. (2020-a). About us. Retrieved from https://trellis4tomorrow.org/about-

us/

Trellis for Tomorrow. (2020-b). Youth Environmental Stewardship. Retrieved from

https://trellis4tomorrow.org/25829-2/

Trellis for Tomorrow. (2020-c). Youth Seed Enterprise. Retrieved from

https://trellis4tomorrow.org/youth-seed-enterprise/
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Appendix A

Interview with Palomacy Director E.Young

The interview was conducted over Google Forms. Our team has emailed a short introduction and

a link to the form to all research participants. The interviewee was selected due to her direct

involvement in community outreach efforts.

What outreach methods have been most effective in sharing environmental issues with the

community?

We are rescuers of & advocates for pigeons which are incredibly familiar & also totally

misunderstood. Our most effective outreach is in person WITH pigeons. People just don't get

them unless they meet them (& then they are blown away) or at least see images of pigeons in

ways that are unexpected (bathing in a bowl, napping on a couch, snuggling with their person,

etc.). Before Covid, we did lots of in person outreach & adoption events & humane education,

winning the hearts & minds of thousands of new friends for pigeons. This past year we've had to

depend on our social media presence (which is robust for such a small rescue) & some

interviews/podcasts. (https://www.pigeonrescue.org/2018/04/08/reaching-out-through-pigeon-

dove-diplomacy/)

What do you think is holding back your community from taking action on environmental

issues?

For our niche cause, it is lack of awareness (who knew thousands & thousands of unreleasable

domestic pigeons & doves need rescue?), ignorance (rescued pigeons & doves as pets?, & lots of
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mis-information (pigeons?! thinking they're dirty/stupid/unhealthful when they are the exact

opposite of all that & so much more).

How do you use technology to communicate your nonprofit’s message?

Every which way! We have our website which provides tons of stories & how-to content

available self-serve 24/7/365, we send electronic newsletters to connect & engage with our ever-

growing community, we use electronic databases to track our rescued, fostered & adopted birds

& our donors, volunteers, adopters, etc., we depend on online donations to stay aloft (including

with special partners like GlobalGiving), we are constantly

posting/sharing/coaching/referring/educating via social media (especially our Palomacy Help

Group at www.Facebook.com/groups/Palomacy & Instagram), we are constantly taking &

sharing lots of digital photos, we are always responding to nonstop emails & texts, etc.!

How are people in the community generally introduced to your nonprofit? Can you think

of any recent examples?

Usually (multiple times every day) someone finds a sick, weak or tame pigeon or dove in need of

help & they Google bird rescue or pigeon rescue or dove rescue & find us that way. And we

work really hard to PUSH our info outwards to raise awareness & increase compassion. We are

always putting info out about how cruel & dangerous "dove releases" are, how terribly victims of

the "sport" of pigeon racing suffer, how over one million juvenile King pigeons are bred &

butchered every year (in CA alone) for meat (squab), how most shelters & rescues turn domestic

pigeons & doves away (or kill them), what amazing pets they make, how many are in need of

adopters, etc. etc.

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How do you adapt your outreach efforts to different audiences (e.g. audiences of different

ages)? (please see next questions if you currently do not do that)

We have crafted humane education content for youngsters in school & summer camps & we

provide a lot of rescue & adoption coaching support through email & over the phone for people

who don't want to use our Help Group on Facebook. And about 4 years ago we added a once per

year snail mail holiday fund appeal to our efforts (prior to that we only communicated

electronically).

If your site doesn't currently do this, how may adapting your efforts to different audiences

impact your outreach?

We need tons more content - in different languages, on different topics, we are working almost

alone in this field. While there is a TON of info about pigeons as pests (most of it inaccurate) &

about ways to exploit them (for meat, sport, business, lab testing, using to train hunting dogs,

falcons, etc.), we are by far the major producer of the info our audiences need- how to rescue &

care for pigeons & doves as companions - & despite all we are doing, we can't even begin to

keep up.

What public policy changes would you suggest that could benefit the cause you serve?

Outlaw the use of dangerous & cruel poisons like Avitrol. Outlaw cruel & ineffectual "pest

control" means in exchange for humane wildlife management. Close down wet markets

(sellers/butchers-on-demand of live animals for meat). Outlaw pigeon racing (unethical &

environmentally unfriendly for many reasons). Outlaw "dove releases" where domestic birds are
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"released" at ceremonies regardless of the cruelty & suffering involved. Require open door

(municipal) shelters that are tasked with helping all animals to provide equal service to all

animals rather than extraordinary levels of care for some & zero for others. Increase plant-based

options. Reduce the use of animal products. Improve the funding systems that support

community service providers & eliminate the INSANE amount of wasted time, effort & inequity

that results from the current grant-based rather than sustainability-focused funding model.

(Thank you to intern Peter Zed & CSMB for your support!)
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Appendix B

Interview with the Marketing Director at Ruth Bancroft Garden, M. Sunbury

The interview was conducted over Google Forms. The interviewee was selected due to her direct

involvement in the marketing of the non profit organization as well as outreach.

What outreach methods have been most effective in sharing environmental issues with the

community?

Education - classes and workshops offered for adults and children that incorporate these topics.

Docent training - more in-depth education. General publicity about the Garden since by

definition, we are a dry garden and part of our mission is to educate the public about the

environmental benefits of dry gardening. General social media, email marketing about events,

plants etc that incorporate this type of information.

What do you think is holding back your community from taking action on environmental

issues?

Million dollar question! Feeling like their individual action won't really make a difference. No

immediate visible result - the instant gratification factor is not there. In our specific case, plant

blindness, the lack of knowledge and understanding or the importance and role plants play in the

environmental balance of the planet. https://carnegiemnh.org/plant-blindness/

How do you use technology to communicate your nonprofit’s message?

digtial communication - social media, emails, online publications

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How are people in the community generally introduced to your nonprofit? Can you think

of any recent examples?

Many people first come to our Garden for an event that isn't specifically that garden related. For

example our "Aloe-ween" kids event, Garden of d'Lights holiday event, Dog Days of Summer

etc. These draw new visitors.

How do you adapt your outreach efforts to different audiences (e.g. audiences of different

ages)? (please see next questions if you currently do not do that)

DIffererent communication channels that skew to different audiences - email vs Facebook vs

Instagram. Mobile adaptive websites and email communications for younger audiences

accessing on their phones. Direct mail postcards for our older audience that is less tech savvy.

What public policy changes would you suggest that could benefit the cause you serve?

Increased financial incentives to convert to water-wise landscapes. Increased focus on

biology/botony/horticulture/environmental science in the K-12 education curriculum. Increased

funding for field trips to bring young children to the Garden.

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Appendix C

Interview with Trellis for Tomorrow

Program Director & Environmental Specialist B. Steininger

The interview was conducted over Google Forms. The interviewee was selected due to his direct

involvement in community outreach efforts and his knowledge of environmental issues.

What outreach methods have been most effective in sharing environmental issues with the

community?

We haven't reached out to the community as a whole, per se, regarding environmental issues. We

have a program called Youth Environmental Stewardship in which a small cohort of teens

complete a variety of land stewardship projects at local preserves. We then connect the work

they do to their communities and then to the world. We also incorporate conservation issues into

our other programs. And occasionally, we will highlight environmental issues on Facebook (i.e.

for Earth Day) or in our newsletter.

What do you think is holding back your community from taking action on environmental

issues?

I would say that a lack of knowledge about the issues is probably the main thing preventing

action. Feelings of being overwhelmed - what can I do about it? - as well as not knowing where

to start, or how to get involved, also limit action. And how does it relate to people on a personal

level, making the connection to how it affects them personally, whether it affects their health or

some other aspect of their life or personal wellbeing.

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How do you use technology to communicate your nonprofit’s message?

We use a variety of platforms/media: website, Instagram, Facebook, newsletter, e-mail blasts,

Zoom, and YouTube. And this past year, due to Covid, we held virtual fundraisers.

How are people in the community generally introduced to your nonprofit? Can you think

of any recent examples?

Word of mouth and referrals by partner organizations are probably the two main ways people

learn about us. We do some direct outreach via special events and social media. Occasionally, we

make the local newspapers or magazines. For example, for our Youth Environmental

Stewardship program, we partner with a local non-profit that maintains public preserves. They

have a magazine that they publish, and recently included an article about Trellis and the

program. Another example is the third party we use to evaluate our youth programs. We were

recognized for doing an outstanding job in promoting social and emotional learning in our youth

and were given an award at an annual event they host; hundreds of organizations nationwide use

their services, so we were introduced to all of them at the event.

How do you adapt your outreach efforts to different audiences (e.g. audiences of different

ages)? (please see next questions if you currently do not do that)

Most of our programs are for youth to young adults, but one is mainly for adults. We have

targeted partners for each age group. For our youth, we do a lot of direct outreach to either the

youth themselves, their parents, social services providers, or our partner youth organizations. We

do similar for the adults - direct outreach or through partner organizations.

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What public policy changes would you suggest that could benefit the cause you serve?

There are many. Food and health policies (e.g. the Farm Bill - focus on small and medium farms,

famers of color, instead of the giant agribusiness owned/operated farms); community and

economic development (policies that actually get money to those that need it and actually benefit

the recipients); education (e.g. educational stop "tracks" that steer people of color towards low-

income jobs); environmental (address the environmental injustices that are rampant); healthcare

and social services (again, policies that actually get money to those that need it and actually

benefit the recipients).