Ypsi-based program aims to restore dignity for women giving birth while incarcerated

https://www.secondwavemedia.com/concentrate/features/prisondoula0493.aspx

Sarah Rigg

Concentrate

6 August 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

The Michigan Prison Doula Initiative seeks to provide pregnant women experiencing incarceration the support and care they need to maintain physical and mental health before, during, and after giving birth. The initiative has partnered with the Michigan Department of Corrections to start work in one prison – with the hopes of expanding to others – by providing prenatal counseling, support during birth, and postpartum visits.

Nepali women's bid to use international carbon money to rejuvenate land and economy

https://earthjournalism.net//stories/nepali-women2019s-bid-to-use-international-carbon-money-to-rejuvenate-land-and-economy

Abhaya Raj Joshi

Earth Journalism Network

29 July 2019

Text / 1500-3000 Words

As big cities attract the able-bodied residents of rural areas in Nepal, a new initiative provides a chance to stay: to earn an income by planting and caring for trees as part of a carbon offset program. It started as part of a program that would allow Europeans to pay off the cost of their monthly carbon emissions through tree planting in Nepal. An added benefit is preventing soil erosion, but it remains to be seen if there is an effective way to scale the program.

How Hydroponic School Gardens Can Cultivate Food Justice, Year-Round

https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/07/07/737789983/how-hydroponic-school-gardens-can-cultivate-food-justice-year-round

Robin Lloyd

NPR

7 July 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

Brownsville Collaborative Middle School is one of a growing number of elementary schools in the U.S. using community gardens to teach predominantly low-income students about healthy food options and provide produce to larger communities situated in food deserts.

With Rural Health Care Stretched Thin, More Patients Turn To Telehealth

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/07/07/737618560/with-rural-health-care-stretched-thin-more-patients-turn-to-telehealth

Patti Neighmond

NPR

7 July 2019

Radio / 5-15 Minutes

Almost a quarter of rural Americans surveyed by NPR had used a telehealth service in the past few years. While new technologies are allowing remote patients to gain new access to healthcare, lack of broadband service and outdated insurance policies are making it hard for more widespread adoption.

As Floods Keep Coming, Cities Pay Residents to Move

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/06/climate/nashville-floods-buybacks.html

John Schwartz

The New York Times

6 July 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

The city of Nashville is a model for other U.S. cities focusing on how to deal with homes that are flooding more consistently than before. The National Flood Insurance Program exists to help insure homes that wouldn't be covered by private insurance; for some homeowners, the frustration of constant flooding is alleviated by the city's initiative to buy back those properties from their owners, turning them instead into more environmentally friendly parks, paths, and other flood buffers.

How grassroots partnerships are working toward long-term food security

https://www.columbiamissourian.com/news/state_news/how-grassroots-partnerships-are-working-toward-long-term-food-security/article_12f9654a-8d26-11e9-9e21-cb01002d8a71.html

Alexis Allison

Columbia Missourian

3 July 2019

Text / Over 3000 Words

Overcoming the causes of social isolation plays a crucial role in combating food insecurity. From faith-based community meals paired with job programs in Branson, to food recycling initiatives that tap into local markets in Kansas, multiple organizations across Missouri and the United States are developing solutions oriented toward local needs. In some cases, such as the work of Mother Hubbard’s Cupboard in Bloomington, IN, building community leads to political advocacy and civic engagement.

How Sonoma's Vineyards Survived a Siege of Fire, Smoke and Ash

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/03/travel/how-sonomas-vineyards-survived-a-siege-of-fire-smoke-and-ash.html

Michele Bigley

The New York Times

3 July 2019

Text / 1500-3000 Words

Through collective action and informed practices, such as promoting grazing in vineyards, residents in fire-ravaged communities build a more resilient future. Across California’s wine region, locals have begun to reorient their way of life to mitigate the effects of future wildfires. The Good Fire Alliance, nonprofit group of organizations, focuses on promoting community resilience to wildfires, educating about safe burning practices, grazing, and encouraging general fire-ecology awareness.

Campus Thrift Stores

https://thephiladelphiacitizen.org/ideas-we-should-steal-campus-thrift-stores

Nick Fiorellini

The Philadelphia Citizen

3 July 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

Recycling and repurposing second hand items helps to reduce a community’s carbon footprint. At Bard College in New York, the FreeUse Store collects second hand items from students and redistributes them free of charge to members of the community. Run by the university’s Office of Sustainably, the program provides a model for using campus bins to recycle textiles and other items to reduce landfill use.

Want Kids to Learn the Joy of Reading? Barbershops and Laundromats Can Help

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/02/books/kids-books-barbershops-laundromats.html

Christine Hauser

The New York Times

2 July 2019

Text / 800-1500 Words

Across the United States, barbershops, laundromats, libraries, and other civic institutions are collaborating to provide more "informal" spaces for kids to practice their reading skills. The initiatives are often located in community gathering spots in economically distressed areas, and help children not only practice their reading, but also grow their confidence.

Residents turn detective to fight crime

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07fp90n

Tom Colls

BBC

2 July 2019

Podcast / Over 15 Minutes

A U.S. company, Flock Safety, has developed a security and surveillance system that allows residents to monitor the color, model, and license plate of every car entering their neighborhood. The system uses car license plate cameras that aren’t monitored by the local police or governments, rather, by residents themselves, to help deter crime. While the system has shown success to the tune of an average of two crimes solved every day, it also raises questions around the problematic nature of surveillance culture, privacy, and profiting off of safety and fear.