Grant Proposal 1

Grant Proposal

Nicolette Sperczak

Kutztown University

November 3, 2020
Problem Statement 2

Grant Proposal

Cover Letter
November 3, 2020

Professor Svistova
123 Kutztown University Ct
Kutztown, PA 19530

Dear Professor Svistova,

I am writing you today from the Pure Air Agency. We are an agency that is concerned with the
air quality and pollution that affects citizens from all over the country. Our goal is to minimize
the negative health effects caused by toxicity in the air from air pollution. There is a large
environmental injustice currently taking over the city of Chester, Pennsylvania. The agency is
looking for funding from the Svistova Foundation in order to assist the quality of life of the
Chester residents, the Clean Home Program.

There has been an overwhelming amount of trash incinerators moving into Chester since 1990.
From this, the pollution that has entered the air of the city has caused endless health problems
among children, pregnant women, the elderly, and majority of the high Black population in the
area who are already at high risk for health problems. Although there has been countless efforts
to move the pollution causing companies out of the area, there has been little to no change.
Therefore, the next solution lays in cleaning the air of the homes in Chester. We are looking to
start a program that will bring thousands of air purifiers to the citizens of the city that will
improve the air quality within their homes.

With each purifier costing less than $200, we are looking for $X in funding for the program. This
funding will provide air purifiers for all households in Chester, PA as well as education that is
required to enroll residents to this program. We are looking forward in coming together with the
Svistova Foundation and change the health of thousands of individuals in the area. I am looking
forward to hearing back from you at (123) 444-5555 or at emailme@email.com.

Sincerely,
Nicolette Sperczak
Problem Statement 3

Problem Statement

There is a large environmental injustice occurrence in Chester, Pennsylvania since the

1990’s. The problem lays in the large amount of trash incinerators that have been moving into

the city whose toxic fumes have many negative consequences, such as cancer. The population

being affected is mostly Black individuals who are living in poverty. “Chester, Pennsylvania is a

small city with a low-income African American population, located in the affluent, mostly white

Delaware County ("Environmental Racism in Chester | The Public Interest Law Center", 2020).”

This makes them a vulnerable population of minority, thus leaving this environmental injustice

to be considered flat out environmental racism. Even with years of resistance, the pollution

problems still remain very relevant to the citizens of Chester. Not only do toxic fumes take over

the city, but they have life lasting negative results of disease and death to Chester residents. On

top of all of this, the trash is being burned is not even from the surrounding areas. Trash has been

brough to Chester from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and many other places throughout

the country (2020). Th e inequitable distribution of biohazards in a city where the majority

population is black and economically distressed identifies Chester as one of the country’s worst

examples of environmental apartheid (Wallace, 2008).”

Originally, the idea to have a trash plant was welcomed and thought to stimulate the

economy by creating jobs. Little did the city of Chester know, they would become the target for

many hazardous and municipal waste treatment facilities. As the toxic manufacturers’ presence

began to grow in the city, the residents noticed negative effects and alerted the federal

government. From this, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) started to look into the

effects of the toxic fumes taking over this city. Even though the EPA has little jurisdiction to

make change, they did report the city having the “highest percentage of low-weight births in the
Problem Statement 4

state, nearly double the rate for the entire county, and a mortality and lung cancer rate that is

60% higher than the rest of Delaware County. The EPA also found that the children of Chester

have the highest concentration of lead in their bloodstream relative to the children in the rest of

the state and has the highest infant mortality rate in the state (2020).” Since there is little the EPA

can do, the citizens often have to bound together and advocate for change. These toxic

companies continue to move into the area and cause growing problems of pollution to the city,

despite efforts of protest by the residents. The problem is upkept by the huge contracts made

between the pollution facilities and the state of Pennsylvania agreeing to burn trash and other

toxic waste from all over the country. Since 1993, there has been little done to stop this large

issue and the operation seems to only be growing in size.

With people’s lives in danger every minute breathing the air in their own town, this

problem definitely warrants macro-level intervention. The problem is not just affecting a couple

people or groups, it is affecting generations of humans being born and raised in Chester, PA.

While the city has attempted to take matters into their own hands and form groups such as

Chester Residents Concerned for Quality Living (CRCQL), the efforts have fallen short and the

problem still persists. Since the problem has roots throughout a whole community from

government choices, macro level intervention would be the strategy to tackle this problem. There

must be intervention within the policies and communication between the residents and higher

powers in decision making that is affecting a city at large. (Sperczak, 2020)

Logic Model

Context Strategies Activities Outcome Impact

Short Term Education on Hold a zoom Education on Education on Residence
the air meeting for the the issues and can sign up
quality issue residents of environmental its solution for Clean
in the area Chester, PA injustice will Home
and what air weekly for 12 occurring will encourage Program and
Problem Statement 5

purifiers can weeks. be provided. residents to start process

do to help. Education on enroll into to receive an
air purifiers program to air purifier.
and their attain an air
benefits will purifier.
be provided.
Intermediat Residents Residents Interested Air purifiers Air purifiers
e need to agree will have 2 residents will will be will be
and sign up months after come to the delivered to provided to
for program meetings end agency and interested enrolled
after to sign up for fill out residents. residence
educational program. paperwork for The air and start
meeting. an air purifier. cleaning cleaning the
process will air of the
begin. home.
Long Term Health issues Air purifiers Residents will Clean air will Increase of
related to the will be in place be available home air
air pollution homes all delivered in all hours quality will
needs to over Chester purifier in resident is in lead to less
decrease. and clean the main part of their home. health
air. the home. problems
among
residents.

Goals and Objectives

For the people of Chester there are three goals to achieve with this program, education,

preparation, and overall increase in health quality. For short term goals, the agency will provide

education to the residents on the importance of air quality and the pollution that has been

occurring. This education will be held twice a week for 12 weeks, allowing multiple

opportunities for all 34,000 residents to join. This goal will be met when all residents have

learned about the danger air pollution poses to their health. Once this is achieved, residents will

sign up to receive a free air purifier for their home. This goal is projected to be met two months,

maximum, after the last class has taken place. This will intertwine with the intermediate goal of

having an air purifier in every home in the city of Chester, PA. This objective will be met within

4 months. This will start the process of attaining cleaner air quality which will lead to better
Problem Statement 6

health for the residents. Better health and life quality for the residents is the last and long-term

goal.

Timeline

Jan Feb March April May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec

Education

Enrollment

Installation

Evaluation

Evaluation

The program will receive evaluation at multiple steps. Firstly, we will know if we met the

goal of having an air purifier in every home when we evaluate how many purifiers were sent out

compared to the number of households in Chester, PA. This will also evaluate how effective the

educational class is. However, at the end of the class, if an individual chose to apply for an air

purifier, a satisfaction survey will be given. At this time an initial quality of life and health

survey will be given as well. Second, at the end of a year with the program and with at least two

months with an air purifier, a customer survey will be given to each resident that received an air

purifier. This survey will address their mood and health quality on a scale of 1-10 of change.

This will address evaluation on resident health and life quality.

Budget

Personal Salaries

Baccalaureate Social Work Educator ($24/Hour; 2 Hours/Week) $576

Problem Statement 7

Receptionist ($12/Hour; 20 Hours/Week) $12,480

Baccalaureate Social Work Organizer ($24/Hour 20 Hours/Week) $24,960

Operating Costs

Supplies (Paper, Ink, etc) $1,000

Equipment Costs

Air Purifiers ($150 X 11,633 residents) $1,744,950

Total: $1,783,966
Problem Statement 8

Thank You Letter

November 3, 2020

Professor Svistova
123 Kutztown University Ct
Kutztown, PA 19530

Dear Professor Svistova,

I, on behalf of the Pure Air Agency, wanted to reach out and personally thank you for your time,
effort, and funding involving our Clean Home Program. With your assistance, thousands of lives
are being changed in drastic ways. With the introduction of air purifiers to all homes in Chester,
PA, health problems are expected to decrease, and quality of life is expected to increase. This
could not be possible without the assistance of the Svistova Foundation!

Thank you,
Nicolette Sperczak
Problem Statement 9

References

(2020). Retrieved 14 September 2020, from http://www.ejnet.org/chester/RailFlyer.pdf

(2020). Retrieved 14 September 2020, from http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/polk.html

Environmental Racism in Chester | The Public Interest Law Center. (2020). Retrieved 16

September 2020, from https://www.pubintlaw.org/cases-and-projects/chester-2/

Sperczak, N. (2020). Problem Statement [Unpublished manuscript]. Kutztown University.

Wallace, M. I. (2008). The Spirit of Environmental Justice: Resurrection Hope in Urban

America. Worldviews: Global Religions, Culture & Ecology, 12(2/3), 255–269.

https://doi.org/10.1163/156853508X360019