Resilient American Communities Initiative

Resilient American Communities (RAC) is a civil society driven public-private consortium. It supports communities in their efforts to prevent and manage the risks of climate change, COVID, and other polycrises. RAC efforts are particularly focused on engaging GreenBlue economies engaging local solutions addressing menacing challenges that threaten their health, prosperity, resilience and regeneration.

RAC is a multi-organizational enterprise dedicated to decreasing climate change and pandemic impacts, while advancing the mission critical functions within American communities, such as renewable energy systems, housing, health systems, food security, and others. RAC partners with and provides support for community partners, empowering local leaders and community members to enact change in their own communities.

The Resilient American Communities Initiative uses a continuously evolving set of  tools and methods that build community capacity, social cohesion, long term resilience and regeneration.

Goals

  • Build community capacity through a robust interconnected network of people with diverse skills to support disaster response, resilience and the growth of GreenBlue economies. (1)
  • Promote social cohesion by connecting people during a difficult time with accurate information and productive actions that keep them safe.
  • Move the community onto a Whole-of-Society collaborative platform with participation from a diverse cross-section of community stakeholders.

(1) Green economy refers to an economic model that focuses on reducing carbon emissions and promoting the use of renewable resources. While Blue economy refers to an economic model that focuses on the sustainable use and management of ocean resources.

Activities

  • Monthly Virtual RAC Convocations
  • Amplify accurate public health messaging
  • Catalyze innovation in the development of multi-sector Whole-of-Society efforts to work parallel to, and often in coordination with, Whole-of-Government efforts that move communities toward GreenBlue sustainable economies. 
  • Form Work Groups to address identified needs 

RAC: 4 Steps to Help You Get Started With Resilient American Communities

One resource to help you develop effective Whole-of-Society collaborative teams is the EPA Environmental Justice Problem Solving Model. The elements of the model are presented in the graphic excerpted from that publication below. Multiple elements are likely to coexist in any group working collaboratively to solve problems. Resilient American Communities design and implement projects with the understanding that project design can strengthen weak elements while meeting immediate critical needs. 

STEP 1:

Begin by determining which elements of collaborative problem solving are your strengths and which are weak. Use the examples and Element descriptions in the EPA Environmental Justice Problem Solving Model to determine the additional processes and partners you need to cultivate to engage in the cross sector community problem solving that the pandemic has made necessary.

 

STEP 2:

Examine the Mission Statements of organizations that you feel would work well with your group. Ask them this series of questions, and any others that would help you understand if they would bring value to your emerging RAC.

INTERVIEW A REPRESENTATIVE OF AN ORGANIZATION (Download PDF)

ORGANIZATION IDENTIFICATION

Date:

Name of Organization:

Address:

Position of person interviewed within the organization:

Name of Person Interviewed:

Phone Contact:

Email Address:

Who is the financial Point of Contact within your organization?

COMMITMENT TO ADDRESS Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs), Disaster Preparedness and Response, Building Resilience, Increasing Wellbeing

What assets or staff has your organization committed to addressing these concerns?

Please describe any trainings, forums, facilitated dialogues or printed materials you make available to your community for the purpose of addressing these concerns:

Please describe any programming or facility alterations your organization has planned that increase the community’s ability to address these concerns.

COMMUNITY CHARACTERISTICS AND LEADERS

How would you describe the community your organization serves?

What experiences or challenges in your community have caused your organization to be interested in addressing these concerns?

Can you recommend community leaders who might be interested in working on these concerns in your community?

Please name any alliances, coalitions, partnerships, denominational associations or initiatives your organization is allied with or supports.

SHARED VALUES

Why is your organization interested in addressing Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs), Disaster Preparedness and Response, Building Resilience or Increasing Wellbeing?

What outcome would you hope for from your organization’s association with Resilient American Communities?

Additional Comments:

STEP 3:

INTERVIEW A COMMUNITY LEADER RECOMMENDED BY AN ORGANIZATION (Download PDF)

Name of Community Leader:

Address:

County:

Contact Information:

COMMUNITY

What is the name of your community/neighborhood?

How long have you lived there?

Why are you committed to helping your community to address Social Determinants of Health (SDOHs), Disaster Preparedness and Response, Building Resilience, Increasing Wellbeing?

SOCIAL CAPITAL

Do you have family in the community/neighborhood?

What can you tell me about your relationsship with (the organization that recommended you)?

What are your strongest professional and personal interests?

What skills do you have that are important for this work? (ie. communications and media,  health, medicine, cooking and/or food delivery, case management, project management, administrative work, building/construction, sewing, computer skills, workforce development, etc.)

Are you a member of any professional, social, faith, civic or other groups? (Ask follow-up questions that help you understand all relevant groups.)

Do you know any of these people? (Ask about other community leaders who were recommended in the same community where your interviewee lives.)

If so, how long have you known them, and how? (Follow up to find out if they went to the same school(s), worked together, volunteered on community efforts together, have a family connection, etc.)

TECHNOLOGY

Do you have a cell phone, tablet or computer? (If so, what kind(s)?)

Have you had any problems with connectivity or with your data plan?

Can you take pictures on your phone?

Can you take videos on your phone?

Do you have access to a computer?

Do you have WiFi?

Do you use WhatsApp?

Do you use Excel, Googlesheets, or a calculator?

What other software do you use to manage your organization or your community?

STEP 4:

Read What’s a RAC site? & How to set one up 

If you are interested in setting up a RAC site, register on the resilientamericancommunity.org website and complete the Contact Us form.

 Image By NASA [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Website designed by Heron Bridge Education, LLC for Health Initiatives Foundation, Inc. (2019)

Copyright © 2019 AGRR Initiative, Health Initiatives Foundation, Inc., All Rights Reserved