The Community Foundation’s LeadSafeCNY initiative is hosting a participatory budgeting project to address childhood lead poisoning in Syracuse by increasing lead testing of children. The winning project(s) will be funded with a pool of $150,000 in grant dollars.

Participatory budgeting is a type of community engagement in which residents decide how to allocate funding through a process of democratic deliberation and decision-making. This project will run from September 2022 – May 2023. See below for more information regarding the participatory budgeting process and how you can sign up.

If you have questions, you may direct them to Qiana Williams, program officer, at 315.883.5568 or qwilliams@cnycf.org.

A typical participatory budgeting process follows these steps, usually over the course of a year:

  1. Process Design: We are partnering with a consultant and community leaders to create the rules and engagement plan.
  2. Brainstorm Ideas: Through meetings and online tools, residents will share and discuss ideas for projects.
  3. Develop Proposals: Groups of volunteers will develop the ideas into feasible proposals.
  4. Vote: Volunteers vote on the proposals that most serve the community’s needs.
  5. Fund Winning Project: The Community Foundation will fund the winning idea(s) with a pool of $150,000 in grant dollars.

Graphic courtesy of Participatory Budgeting Project

Volunteers are invited to sign up to be a part of this exciting program. Participants will hear from county and city officials, community leaders and residents as we share stories, expertise and ideas, develop proposals and vote on the best project. Registration is required to ensure we have enough food, translators and childcare available.

Sign Up

LEAD Prevention:  What can we do about Lead?

Participatory Budgeting project to increase lead testing for children

Meeting Schedule September 13, 2022 — May 2, 2023

Tuesdays:  6:30pm – 8:30pm

Date Host Location Agenda
September 13 Cafe Sankofa 2323 S Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13205 What can we do about Lead?

Guest: John Moneghan, Consultant

October 4 Dunbar Center 1453 S State St, Syracuse, NY 13205 What can we do about Lead?
November 15 Downtown YMCA 340 Montgomery St, Syracuse, NY 13202 What can we do about Lead?
December 6 PEACE, Inc – Eastside 202 S Beech St, Syracuse, NY 13210 What can we do about Lead?
2023 Schedule
January 10 Central New York Community Foundation 

Ballroom

431 E Fayette St, Syracuse, NY, 13210 What can we do about Lead?
February 7 PEACE, Inc. & Brady Faith Market Brady Faith Market Community Room

307 Gifford St, Syracuse, NY 13204

What can we do about Lead?
March 7 Northside Learning Center 501 Park St, Syracuse, NY 13203 Proposal presentations
April 12

 

April 18

Central New York Community Foundation
431 E Fayette St, Syracuse, NY, 13210NO MEETING – Early voting for participatory budgeting attendees. 
Proposal presentations

 

Voting link will be sent to pb focus group’s individual email. 

May 2 Salt City Market Community room 484 S Salina St, Syracuse, NY 13202 Community – wide vote

Unable to join us? Watch back our Participatory Budgeting Sessions here:

Participatory Budgeting Project
To Increase Lead testing for children

TOP IDEAS

Thank you for your guidance, knowledge and ideas to help us increase lead testing for children. Based on your work on this project, you and your neighbors have voted on ideas gathered from each meeting. Below is an overview of the top 3 ideas from the September – February 2023 meetings.

February 7, 2023 – Top 3 Ideas

  1. Only rent to properties that have been deemed safe from lead – 18 votes
  2. Partner with SCSD and Daycares to get more children tested and screened for lead – 9 votes
  3. Research funding looking at connections with neuro-development disorders (ADHD, anxiousness, etc.) – 8 votes

January 10, 2023 – Top 3 Ideas

  1. County Lead ambassadors who represent the 5 major language groups to conduct outreach and education for families – 20 votes
  2. Mobile lead testing unit with tracker of locations to do pop-up testing where there are a lot of families (Mall, State Fair) – 17 votes
  3. Tenant hardware store to subsidize cost of materials to do lead remediation (tenants would have to be certified by the county to do any lead remediation work) – 14 votes

December 6, 2022 – Top Ideas 

  1. Hold landlords accountable – 21 votes
    • Landlords test units
    • Landlords limit selling a house until lead problem is fixed
    • Landlords face higher penalties is lead is found
  2. Lead Bus Testing – 14 votes
    • Bus testing at community centers, W.I.C., churches, daycares, and other community events
  3. Mandatory lead testing during yearly children’s physicals – 11 votes

November 15, 2022 – Top 3 Ideas 

  1. Incentives for Testing— 30 Votes
  2. Giving incentives – 5 votes
    • Have to get children screened in order to qualify for assistance (5 votes)
    •  If you get lead tested you get a free physical (3 votes)
    • Incentivize screening for youth (merch, gift cards, etc.) (8 votes)
    •  Grants/financial aid with conditional stipends during immunization [sic] process (14 votes)
  1. Mobile Testing— 28 Votes
    • Bring back screening van  (10 votes)
    • Mandatory mobile testing to get families tested by zip code (13 votes)
    •  Mobile testing vans in community for accessibility (5 votes)
  1. PSA that incorporate Social Media— 12 votes
    • Fun short PSA (social media, doctors’ offices, etc.) (8 votes)
    • Information through social media with relatable candidates (4 votes)

October 4, 2022 – Top 3 Ideas 

Top Ideas

  1. Public service announcements (church, press conferences, non-profits, social media, campaign, gather people to go to legislation, ACR Health, sororities, rescue mission, parks and rec, doctor office, boys and girls club) + Communication access/education (different languages, history, knowledge) – 18 votes
  2. Make lead testing a requirement to go to school to increase the number of kids being tested – 15 votes
  3. Doctors should raise awareness around lead (lead kits, cause/effects, symptoms, where to get information) – 11 votes
  4. Communication access/education (different languages, history, knowledge) – 11 votes

September 13, 2022

Top Ideas

  1. Mandatory Testing before Renting— 16 Votes
  2. Provide Free Interpreters; in person face-to-face— 14 Votes
  3. Bring back the lead bus/mobile van— 11 votes

More to come!

More to come!

We have compiled a list of resources to help you learn more about the dangers of lead poisoning and how to safely remove it from your home.

View Resources

LeadSafeCNY is an initiative of the Central New York Community Foundation, which has made a multi-year commitment to help decrease the region’s alarming childhood lead poisoning rates. Understanding that lead poisoning undercuts all community efforts to help children reach their fullest potential, LeadSafeCNY tackles this issue through multiple approaches including funding, impact investing and collaboration to support lead-free housing construction, existing home renovations, community outreach and training, workforce development, public policy and more.

Learn More

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