The North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance Project (NCRCAP), an RCP partner, is advancing the triple bottom line with the fantastic program Healthy Homes for All.
Healthy Homes for All provides environmental health education and advocates for safe, affordable housing in Chatham County.
NCRCAP staff target and address health and safety issues that affect child development, including: safe drinking water, childhood lead poisoning prevention, wastewater disposal, hazardous household chemicals, and allergen and asthma triggers. Coordinated testing is also done to detect lead, paint, dust, and soil as well as bacterial contamination of drinking water from private wells.
When the program first began, NCRCAP outreach workers, who were AmeriCorps VISTA members from outside the targeted community, had difficulty reaching Latino families who were at risk for these health hazards. The Latino community in NC is underserved by many existing health education programs yet bears a disproportionate burden of health hazards related to substandard housing conditions. In 2007, with support from CNEF, NCRCAP redefined its outreach strategy and began training and working alongside lay health advisors, or Promotoras de Salud.
Promotoras are members of the communities in which they serve, and as a result are able to provide culturally relevant and contextually appropriate health information. NCRCAP Promotoras have educated over 2,000 individuals, double their original goal, on a variety of issues extending from lead blood testing and lead hazard mitigation, to integrated pest management and groundwater protection. The Promotoras visit families in their homes, facilitate community meetings and attend health fairs.
The Promotoras have been highly successful, expanding the reach of the program from 100 families in 5 years to 170 families in 9 months. Evaluations for the program also have indicated that significant behavioral changes have been made as a result of the program’s efforts.
For more information, click below:
North Carolina Rural Communities Assistance Program (NCRCAP)
Healthy Homes for All
RCP likes to hear from you! If you know of any events or organizations work toward the triple bottom line (environmental stewardship, social justice and economic viability), please tell us about it in the comment space below.
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