By Dawn Scotland
The Truth Reporter
The Junction Coalition, along with partner organizations, hosted a free lead education event at the Mott Branch Library on Saturday, April 6 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to educate families on the dangers of lead exposure and to provide resources for the community to get help.
In 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its Child Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, awarded The Junction Coalition a $600,000 grant, spanning a three-year period, to help reduce lead poisoning in the Toledo community. The Junction Coalition is one of 11 organizations in the United States, and the only organization in the state of Ohio, to receive this grant.
This three-year, community-based grant supports organizations in their efforts to:
- Collaborate with partners from various sectors;
- Expand access to resources and services for families and children;
- Augment knowledge and skills related to lead poisoning prevention;
- Raise awareness within the community about the risks associated with lead exposure and the disparities in blood lead levels, particularly as influenced by factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and geography
Attendees had the opportunity to sign up for The Junction Coalition’s “419 Lead Out Program” to assist families in getting the help they need. They also received lunch and refreshments.
Those in attendance also received a book, Aiden The Lead-free Superhero, and listened to a live reading via zoom of the book by the author Deanna Branch along with her son Aiden, the subject and young illustrator of the book that tells his journey of sickness from lead poisoning.
Partners attending the event included:
- Advocates for Basic Legal Equality
- Lucas Soil and Water Conservation District
- Nationwide Children’s Hospital
- Neighborhood Health Association
- Neighborworks Toledo Region
- The Lead Paint Detective
- Toledo Fair Housing Center
- Toledo Lead Poisoning Prevention Coalition
- Toledo Lucas County Health Department
- UMADAOP
The Junction Coalition is a non-profit, grassroots organization located in the Junction community of Toledo, Ohio providing a viable voice to its neighbors. The Junction Coalition seeks to promote healthy relationships with local, state, and federal government to build a better quality of life for community members and for business owners who benefit the Junction community.
To learn more visit junctioncoalition419.org