Boca Raton Pilot Project

The goal of the canvassing and meetings in Boca Raton was to provide education and training to reduce public health risks associated with increasingly severe storms and sea level rise associated with climate change in the Pearl City, Lincoln Court and Dixie Manor neighborhoods of Boca Raton.

A Word About the Community Served The community served by this effort included three neighborhoods. Pearl City is a historically African American community in which most residents own their homes. Lincoln Court has a number of rentals, many of which are occupied by Spanish-speaking or Creole-speaking residents. Dixie Manor is a public housing apartment complex with 95 units.

Boca Raton Community Partners In Boca Raton, the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Boca Raton partnered with Developing Interracial Social Change (DISC), and cooperated with Habitat for Humanity, which is implementing a long term neighborhood improvement initiative. DISC provided a letter of commitment that was attached to UUFBR’s January 2016 EPA grant application. DISC is a grassroots community organization that sponsors gatherings and programs, which confront the legacy of racism and promote healing, and seeks to nurture leadership for the work of justice, especially in Boca Raton. Habitat for Humanity agreed to train neighborhood canvassers, and will be receiving full reporting from UUFBR’s Green Sanctuary Committee on the results of both survey and oral history results that give insight into community housing and infrastructure needs.

Resident Engagement EPA notification of funding was received in November 2015, and organizing meetings began in the community in January 2016. Marjorie O’Sullivan served as the DISC Board liaison to UUFBR, and Pearl City residents LeJeune Goddard and Marie Hester served as paid Outreach Leaders. These three leaders and eight additional residents were trained as Climate Communicators with an understanding of the public health impacts of climate change. Climate Communicators who canvassed the neighborhood received stipends. In addition to the three leaders, residents Mike Allen, John E. Brown (DISC Board member), David Collesano (DISC Board member), Anita Gonzales, Marlow Harris, Katie Mae Goddard, Fenide Jean Baptiste, and Allison Jenkins, were trained to participate in the canvass. To facilitate communication among neighbors, DISC Board member David Collesano and resident Fenilde Jean Baptiste served as Creole translators. Resident Anita Gonzales served as Spanish translator.

Professional Supervision Project Manager Phase I ,Dr. Ana Puzkin-Chevlin, a hazards mitigation specialist, conducted a training session for the Outreach Team on the causes and public health effects of climate change. Dr. Sandra Norman, an environmental historian, conducted an oral history training session.  Project Director Janice T. Booher, conducted training on the forms and tracking methods used in the project. They received further training from Habitat for Humanity Organizer Ana Neira on how to conduct a neighborhood survey.  Project Manager Phase II, Dr. Debra Weiss-Randall, Certified Health Education Specialist, conducted additional field training on the protocol for data collection, and supervised all data collection; she worked together with Project Director Janice T. Booher on data analysis (see Boca Raton Rising Together Community Meeting Presentation Sept.15, 2016). Dr. Weiss-Randall also prepared a Boca Raton Community Meeting Flyer, a Boca Raton Press Release and a Program for the Boca Raton Community Meeting September 15, 2016