Build Healthy Places Network Awards Five Community Development Organizations to Spearhead Community-Driven Investments for Racial Equity

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

November 20, 2024 – Build Healthy Places Network (BHPN), a program of the Public Health Institute is thrilled to announce the five awardees of the Community Innovations for Racial Equity (CIRE) initiative, a program aimed at tackling structural racism and health inequities in disinvested communities. Supported by a generous grant from The Kresge Foundation, these five community development organizations, led by and serving Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities, have demonstrated a strong commitment to community-led strategies and racial equity. Each organization will receive a $50,000 grant.

The awardees are:

• Beyond Housing in St. Louis, MO: Beyond Housing takes a comprehensive approach to community development, addressing housing, education, health, and economic opportunity in underserved neighborhoods.
• One Neighborhood Builders in Providence, RI: One Neighborhood Builders focuses on creating affordable housing and economic opportunities in Providence’s Olneyville neighborhood, and convenes Central Providence Opportunities: A Rhode Island Health Equity Zone. 
• Parkside Business & Community In Partnership (PBCIP) in Camden, NJ: PBCIP is dedicated to revitalizing the Parkside neighborhood through economic development, housing, and community-building initiatives. 
• Siċaŋġu Co in Siċaŋġu Lak̇ota nation, SD: This organization is committed to preserving Lakota culture and promoting economic self-sufficiency on the Rosebud Reservation. Guided by the 7Gen Vision, which imagines the type of world their descendants will live in 175 years from now, they are the economic engine whose purpose is to improve the financial and social well-being of their Tribal relatives.
• Starting Over, Inc. in Riverside, CA: Starting Over, Inc. led by formerly incarcerated people provides a holistic approach to reentry, serving the needs of the Inland Region through transitional housing, policy advocacy, and civic engagement.  

“We are honored to be selected for the CIRE initiative,” said Bridget Phifer, CEO of Parkside Business & Community In Partnership, Inc.  “This support will enable us to deepen our impact by advancing racial equity and empowering residents to lead transformative, community-driven change rooted in their own voices, experiences, and leadership.”

These organizations will participate in a collaborative Learning Action Lab, where they will co-develop tools and resources, receive training and technical assistance, and build relationships with mission-driven investors like healthcare systems. Through this process, they will strengthen their capacity to advocate for equitable community investments.

“We are so excited to partner with these incredible organizations that are leading the way in community-driven solutions for racial equity,” said Kevin O. Leacock, Program Manager at BHPN. “Through the CIRE initiative, we aim to amplify their impact and foster a collaborative learning environment that will benefit communities across the nation.”

BHPN will continue to share lessons learned and best practices from the CIRE initiative with the broader field of community investment.

About Build Healthy Places Network

Build Healthy Places Network is a national organization that fosters multi-sector partnerships to advance equitable community investment and improve health outcomes. BHPN supports collaborations that prioritize community-owned solutions and approaches for trust building, such that community investments align with residents’ values and create prosperous and healthy neighborhoods for all. For more information visit buildhealthyplaces.org. BHPN is a program of BHPN is a program of the Public Health Institute in Oakland, CA.

Contact:

Colleen Flynn

Co-Executive Director

cflynn@buildhealthplaces.org