Thurston Climate Action Team

DESCRIPTION: THE PURPOSE OF THIS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN FUNDED ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE SMALL GRANT TO THURSTON CLIMATE ACTION TEAM IS TO ADDRESS CLIMATE JUSTICE ISSUES IN THURSTON COUNTY IN WHICH OUR UNDERSERVED AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES ARE IMPACTED BY CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS. THE ACTION PORTION OF THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE EDUCATIONAL WORKSHOPS, PRESENTATIONS TO COMMUNITY LEADERS AND PUTTING TOOLKITS TOGETHER WITH INFORMATION SHEETS AND BASIC ITEMS THAT ANYONE CAN USE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. OUR PROJECT'S ANTICIPATED OUTCOMES ARE TO INCREASE CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY AWARENESS AND ENGAGEMENT OF BIPOC COMMUNITY LEADERS AND MEMBERS VIA PRESENTATIONS AND WORKSHOPS WITH DECREASES IN UTILITY BILLS AND DISASTER RELATED CLAIMS. NO SUB-AWARDS TO CONTRACTUAL SOURCES HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THIS PROJECT. CAA 103(B)(3): PEOPLE WITH MODERATE-TO-SEVERE OR UNCONTROLLED ASTHMA ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE HOSPITALIZED FROM COVID-19. AIR POLLUTION MAY CONTRIBUTE TO ASTHMA. BY ADDRESSING AIR POLLUTION IN CAA 103(B)(3) PROJECTS, THE CHANCES OF SEVERE ILLNESS FROM COVID-19 ARE REDUCED. SDWA 1442: HANDWASHING IS A WELL-ACCEPTED APPROACH TO COMBATING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. CLEAN WATER IS NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER WASHING OF HANDS. SDWA 1442 GRANT PROJECTS CONTRIBUTE TO PROVIDING CLEAN WATER FOR HANDWASHING IN COMBATTING THE SPREAD OF COVID-19. ACTIVITIES: THIS PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A FOCUS ON COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN HOMES, WORKING WITH UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES THROUGH EDUCATION MATERIALS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE AND POLLUTANTS WHILE ADDRESSING SPECIFIC ENERGY EFFICIENCY NEEDS. OUR ENERGY EFFICIENCY TOOLKITS PROVIDE INFORMATION AND BASIC ITEMS THAT ANYONE CAN USE. ACTIVITIES INCLUDE; A BILINGUAL SURVEY TO THE COMMUNITY LEADERS ON WHAT THEY BELIEVE TO BE THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY, AND THEIR WILLINGNESS TO GET INVOLVED IN COMMUNITY EQUITY EFFORTS, COMMUNITY EDUCATION OUTREACH AND CREATION OF SUBSEQUENT MATERIALS. FURTHER ACTION IN THIS PROJECT WILL INCLUDE PUTTING TOOLKITS TOGETHER WITH INFORMATION SHEETS AND BASIC ITEMS THAT ANYONE CAN USE TO MAKE THEIR HOMES MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. OUTCOMES: OUTPUTS INCLUDE SURVEY RESULTS GATHERING FROM COMMUNITY LEADERS AND ASSESSMENT OF WILLINGNESS TO GET INVOLVED IN CHANGE EFFORTS, MULTILINGUAL EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH MATERIALS AVAILABLE TO ONLINE AND PRINT FORMATS AND CREATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY TOOLKITS WITH INFORMATION SHEETS FOR THE DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THE PROJECT TO UTILIZE IN THEIR HOMES. UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN CLIMATE ACTION GROUPS AND BUILDING AN EQUITY AGENDA AROUND CLIMATE CHANGE THROUGHOUT THIS PROJECT. THE DIRECT BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE COMMUNITIES OF BLACK, INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR (BIPOC) AND OF LOW-INCOME AS THEY ARE IMPACTED FIRST AND WORST BY CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS SUCH AS UNHEALTHY AIR, FLOODING, AND DIRTY ENERGY IN THE LOCALITY OF THURSTON COUNTY, WA. SUBRECIPIENT: NO SUBAWARDS ARE INCLUDED IN THIS ASSISTANCE AGREEMENT.