Arizona, Nevada Policy Centers to Address Inequities in Disaster Preparedness and Recovery of Urban Latino and Native American Communities

Walmart Foundation $300,000 grant aims to help reduce racial and ethnic disparities in disaster preparedness and recovery

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14, 2020

CONTACT:
ASU Morrison Institute for Public Policy, morrison.institute@asu.edu
Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, info@guinncenter.org

PHOENIX – The Walmart Foundation has granted $300,000 to Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy and the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities, based in Nevada, to research how well existing disaster management and planning systems in Arizona and Nevada are serving Latinos and Native Americans living in urban areas.

“The ultimate goal of this research is to identify ways to strengthen the preparedness of urban Latino and Native American communities for biological and environmental disasters,” said Alison Cook-Davis, Morrison Institute’s associate director for research. “Existing research shows that disaster preparedness and response planning efforts often do not include representation from communities of color.”

The research will be conducted over nine months from September 2020 through May 2021 and will include extensive engagement with Latinos and Native Americans living in urban areas of Arizona and Nevada. Grant funds will be used to support research, focus groups, and public engagement activities.

“Our disaster response systems are too rarely examined from an overall systems perspective and in coordination with housing and public health stakeholders,” said Nancy Brune, executive director of the Guinn Center. “It’s not a coincidence that urban communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and have been more susceptible to COVID-19. Our community-engaged research framework will help draw the connections across the range of systems that are critical to overall efforts to strengthen preparedness in these communities.”

Morrison Institute and the Guinn Center will launch the project by assembling advisory panels in each state that will help guide and inform community outreach and engagement.

“The pandemic has shined a light on just how unprepared some communities are to support vulnerable populations during a crisis or disaster,” said Qadira Harris, senior manager, Community Disaster Response and Preparedness for Walmart.org. “By funding research that examines COVID-19’s impact on communities of color, the  Walmart Foundation hopes the key learnings will empower communities to affect change and seek to improve the systems we all rely on to prepare for and respond to future disasters.”

About Arizona State University’s Morrison Institute for Public Policy
Since 1982, Morrison Institute for Public Policy has used nonpartisan research and analysis to examine critical state and regional issues. A resource of Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Morrison Institute’s research is a catalyst for public dialogue and aims to help improve the quality of life in Arizona. To learn more, visit morrisoninstitute.asu.edu.

About the Guinn Center for Policy Priorities
The Kenny Guinn Center for Policy Priorities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan policy center that seeks to advance evidence-based policy solutions through data-driven research, public engagement, and strategic partnerships. To learn more, visit www.guinncenter.org.

About Philanthropy at Walmart
Walmart.org represents the philanthropic efforts of Walmart and the Walmart Foundation. By leaning in where our business has unique strengths, we work to tackle key social issues and collaborate with others to spark long-lasting systemic change. Walmart has stores in 27 countries, employing more than 2 million associates and doing business with thousands of suppliers who, in turn, employ millions of people. Walmart.org is helping people live better by supporting programs that work to accelerate upward job mobility for frontline workers, address hunger and make healthier, more sustainably grown food a reality, and build strong communities where Walmart operates. To learn more, visit www.walmart.org or find us on Twitter @walmartorg.