The CSD Unites Community Foundation is pleased to announce its cohort for the COVID-19 Resiliency Efforts Microgrant. These six organizations have long histories of supporting their deaf communities, and have been working particularly hard to provide additional, crucial supports in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. Read on to see the list of grantees, and stay tuned for our future spotlight posts, where we’ll take a closer look at the work each group is doing.
DeafHope’s mission is to end domestic and sexual violence in Deaf communities through empowerment, education and services. The microgrant will go toward their Ensuring Survivors’ Safety Through Economic Security (ESSTES) project, which will provide financial support to Deaf survivors, particularly those from marginalized communities. Economic insecurity is often a barrier in pursuing safety, healing and justice, and these funds are much needed for those who are experiencing higher rates of economic insecurity due to the pandemic.
Deaf Refugee Advocacy (DRA) works to support Deaf New Americans, those who’ve migrated to the US as refugees, and recognizes that the unique intersection between these identities requires specialized resources, opportunities, and supports. Funding will aid the development of film and web outreach materials to connect with Deaf New Americans, and to support those families with obtaining internet access to attend virtual learning during the pandemic.
Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Services has been awarded a microgrant to help ensure accessible distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine, by providing support through the vaccine registration process in Kent County. Web and phone registration processes can be confusing and inaccessible, so this project seeks to eliminate barriers to vaccination for the D/HH community.
DeafCAN! (Deaf Community Action Network) is a nondenominational program that supports Deaf, DeafBlind, Late-Deafened, Hard of Hearing individuals and their families living in Southeastern Pennsylvania. Their microgrant funding will work to support a large Deaf Bhutanese population which has struggled with isolation and misinformation during the pandemic. Specifically, they plan to hire a full-time Nepali Sign Language (NSL)/ASL interpreter, and ensure that primary care, hospitals, and health centers are educated in the provision of NSL/ASL interpreting teams. They will also work to educate D/HH refugees and immigrants about the vaccine and support them in the registration process.
The Partnership for Families, Children and Adults’ D/HH Program is a central resource center that works to serve the diverse needs of the Deaf community through a variety of supports. This microgrant will be used for direct assistance in the Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia area to provide rent, utilities, food, medication, gas and transportation assistance for community members in need who have been impacted by COVID-19.
The Northwest School for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Children (NWSDHH), the only school for D/HH children in the region, will use their microgrant to expand existing services to Spanish-speaking students and their families who face multiple layers of barriers in pursuit of educational equity, especially in the light of the pandemic. This project will improve inclusion and communication with families of Spanish-speaking students via more robust translation programming, and develop targeted tools for literacy skill development for NWSDHH’s Spanish-speaking population.
