Executive Summary
Youth’s Noise is a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization committed to educating local communities of the various health issues concerning the local population. The Youth’s Noise will provide the equipments and resources necessary for the youth, to create music videos with a goal of spreading awareness to the local community and perhaps to the world.
With a $15,000 grant, we will fund the first year of the program, in which high school freshmen will attend workshops, collect information on various health concerns to incorporate in their music videos, and lively perform in different communities in Washington, DC.
The economic and health issues faced by the LeDroit Park community are interrelated. One third of the LeDroit Park residents live in poverty. Lack of healthy food contribute to health problems because vital fruits, vegetable, and grains are replaced by inexpensive, high calorie starches and refined sugars (Corney 3).
In addition, inadequate diet among young adults increases fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. All students in this community are vulnerable, particularly high school students, as the physical and mental effects of insufficient nutrition are coupled with rapid developmental changes that lead to doubt about self worth and utility of formal education (Dunnavant 5).
Our proposed program will help high school students improve their own lifestyle and self esteem while spreading the awareness and educate in effective modern approach towards nutrition. Students will develop into community leaders through participating in spreading the message in videos and live performances.
It will also boost their confidence and give them the power make changes in the community and in themselves. A grant will enable us to hire coordinators, recruit participants, and fund media equipments to begin the end of various health issues in Washington, DC communities.
Introduction
Researches have shown that malnutrition remains one of the greatest concerns for the residents of LeDroit Park, Washington, DC (Riggs 98). Poor nutrition affects the health of young people living in the community, leading to a range of health concerns, including fatigue and problems with concentrating, as well as irritability and unwillingness to socialize (Budianto para. 2). Though the area is environmentally safe (Benfield para. 3), nutrition issues affect it deeply.
Therefore, the key purpose of the study is to prove that the incorporation of youth initiative into the set of measures used for addressing poor nutrition issues within the area will change the situation drastically. The objectives of the research, in their turn, concern the identification of the key steps to be taken in order to hold the event, the budget of the performance, the ways for attracting young people to the show and the location of the key health concerns to address in the course of the event.
It should be born in mind that the community, which the research is targeted at, is rather homogenous. As the graph below shows, Caucasians and Africa Americans make most of the population of the area (Butler 2), whereas American Indians, Native Hawaiians and other ethnicities are below the 5% threshold (“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Demographics” para. 2).
As far as the gender issues are concerned, though, the area in question can be considered rather homogenous, with male to female ratio making 0.9 (“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Demographics” para. 1).
Speaking of housing, living in the community is rather expensive, as the price is 2.6% higher than the average one in Washington. As the table below shows, the median rent is also rather costly, averaging to $1,350 (“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Housing & Real Estate” para. 1). Compared with the rest of Washington ($1,200), the price seems rather high.
The crime rates within the specified area are rather high, with theft and burglary prevailing (“Washington LeDoit Park” para. 1). Therefore, the security levels must be increased in order to facilitate safety of the participants.
The education level is, in its turn, also comparatively high, with 75.1% of the population having completed college, and 4% getting a doctorate (“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Education – Colleges & Universities” para. 3), which allows for hoping that the event will have a tangible effect on young people’s concern about the issue and make them research the problem in order to be more aware of it.
Scope
The project must be arranged on a rather large scale. Thus, it will be possible for the entire community to be reached. Among the key goals of the project, attracting young people’s attention to the malnutrition issues, promoting healthy eating habits and providing young people with the access to the information on the topic must be listed.
It should be born in mind that the feedback from the young people participating in the event, as well as those, who will attend the performance, will be required. Therefore, after the event is over, it will be necessary to conduct a series of interviews among the young people, who joined the performance.
As far as the schedule is concerned, it will be desirable that the event could be held at the following time: 9.00 a.m. – 6.00 p.m. Thus, the target audience will be capable of attending the event and giving their best to it. As a result, maximum turnout and an increase in engagement can be expected. It is suggested that the schedule should be organized in the following manner: the event will open with a small performance by the guest celebrity.
Next, a series of performances by the local young people will take place. Afterwards, a short break will occur, in the course of which young people will be provided with brochures and booklets on nutrition rules. Then, a series of performances by the guest celebrities featuring he local young performers will be carried out.
Detailed Budget
As far as the budget is concerned, it is necessary to bear in mind that there are only $15,000 at the disposal of the event organizers. Hence, the necessity to take all possible costs into account and distribute the finical resources carefully emerges. The following distribution of the finances seems quite legitimate:
Salaries: $ 5,000
Materials: $ 1,000
Facilities (Rent): $5,000
Transportation: $ 500
Duplication: $ 500
In-Kind Contributions: $ 3,000
Staffing
It will be necessary to hire the staff that is knowledgeable in nutrition and healthcare. To be more specific, the following specialists will be required: Events Organizors, Wellbeing Advisor, Leisure Assistant, Healthcare Workers, Clinical Education Specialists, Nutrition Specialists, and Care Assistants. the specialists in question will be recruited by placing advertisements online.
In addition, it will be required to take a range of precaution measures in order to make sure that the people hired for the job, in fact, meet the demands that their position will presuppose, and be capable of handling their responsibilities. Hence, it will be imperative to check the specified experts’ previous career record In addition, none of the people hired for the event may have a previous criminal record.
Though the event in question is designed specifically for the area in question, i. e, the needs and concerns of the people living in LeDroit Park, it will be reasonable that collaboration with several powerful organizations should be established. Thus, it will be possible to boost the process of raising awareness and, thus, help not only the LeDroit park people, but also all American communities with a similar concern.
Consequently, the cooperation with Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food & Agriculture, So Others Might Eat (SOME), Children’s National Medical Center, Mautner Project of Whitman-Walker Health and Food, Research, Action Center (FRAC) (Center for Community Engagement and Service 1–5) should be established.
It is expected that the Ronald McDonald House will be rented for holding the event. Therefore, all those interested in the subject matter, as well as the people willing to contribute or participate, may contact the organizers of the event with the help of the following information:
Conclusion
There is no need to stress the fact that dieting issues in general and the problems regarding fatigue, problems with concentration, irritability and other issues related to malnutrition have become a major concern for the residents of LeDroit Park in Washington, DC. More to the point, the concern for malnutrition and the effects that it has on young people has spread beyond the specified community and reached the statewide scope.
Seeing that neither nursing specialists, nor the local authorities have coped with the problem, it can be assumed that young people themselves will be able to handle the problem. By having young people take part in the event, one will be able to make a difference in the realm of healthcare.
The event of this scale may not be he enough to draw to attention of the entire United States to the concern, yet it will help turn some heads in the LeDroit Park, therefore, disclosing the shocking truth about the malnutrition issues and helping young people recognize the problem and, thus, learn to address it.
Works Cited
Benfield, K. “The Greening of DC’s LeDroit Park Neighborhood (Featuring a Baptist Church, a Farm, & HRH The Prince of Wales).” Natural Resources Defense Council. 2011. Web.
Budianto, A. “Program Provides Food, Farming Education to Urban Poor.” Voice of America. 2012. Web.
Butler, L. Howard University Cancer Center: Just a beginning. 2010. Web.
Corney, J. State of Washington, D.C.’s Neighborhoods. 2010. Web.
Dunnavant, J. Urban Development, Cemeteries, and a Need to Remember. Gainesville, FL: World Sustainability Forum. 2011. Print.
“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Demographics” Area Vibes. 2014. Web.
“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Education – Colleges & Universities.” Area Vibes. 2014. Web.
“Ledroit Park, Washington, DC Housing & Real Estate” Area Vibes. 2014. Web.
Riggs, Frank D. Public and Private School Choices in the District of Columbia. Washington, DC: Diane Publishing, 2001. Print.
“Washington LeDoit Park” Spot Crime. 2014. Web.