WKKF grantee CHOICES announced a new midwifery fellowship program to address the maternal and infant health crisis in the Black community by training Black midwives in comprehensive reproductive and social justice practices. Addressing health inequities and systemic racism in the health care system by having more Black midwives caring for their communities in the U.S. South is powerful. We are very excited about this new program!
The Mexican newspaper La Jornada Maya featured an article on the work of the Autonomous University of Yucatán to develop a meal plan for students and their families. The plan was created in consultation with mothers, and the food was purchased from local producers. WKKF supports the organization’s efforts to simultaneously advance childhood nutrition and the local economy in the state of Yucatán through school food programs, improved access to locally sourced fresh food and financial support for farmers.
Following the devastating 7.2 earthquake that struck southern Haiti on August 14, several WKKF grantees responded. The news coverage of their efforts included a CBC interview with St. Boniface Hospital Director Dr. Inobert Pierre and The Salem News article about Build Health International’s medical infrastructure response.
With the recent release of 2020 local-level data by the U.S. Census Bureau, the WKKF Racial Equity Anchor Collaborative hosted a webinar and issued a statement related to America’s multiracial future. They offer perspectives on fairness and representation in light of wide-scale undercounts among some of the fastest-growing communities in the country.
In collaboration among Wayne Metropolitan Community Action Agency, Community Development Advocates of Detroit, Fred A. and Barbara M. Erb Family Foundation, Skillman Foundation and WKKF, a $5.7 million Detroit Residents First Fund was created using participatory grantmaking, where nonprofit and community leaders partner with foundation representatives to determine how grant funds are dispersed. The fund prioritizes support for Detroit-based grassroots nonprofit organizations whose leaders are people of color working to transform neighborhoods in Detroit with the least access to power and social capital.
According to a new issue brief from WKKF grantee Mathematica, there are shortages of licensed childcare providers in Detroit. Informal childcare providers fill critical gaps and offer personalized care parents value. However, informal providers such as family, friends and neighbors are largely invisible to policymakers and, as a result, lack resources. The issue brief, discussed in a podcast, highlights ways local nonprofit organizations and funders can improve the quality of informal child care. It also underscores lessons learned from a community-based collaborative that sought to improve the education and well-being of children by enhancing informal child care.
