August 22, 2023 — E4TheFuture is pleased to provide grant funding to the Springfield, Massachusetts social justice organization Arise. The funds will be used to expand Arise’s work educating residents about the dangers of indoor mold, advocating for implementation of mold-control codes, and providing residents with HEPA air purifiers that can help contain mold spores that aggravate respiratory conditions.
“In a city that the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America has called the asthma capital of the nation, air purifiers are only Band-Aids,” said Arise Executive Director Tanisha Arena. “But they are also tools we can use to address one of the many effects of environmental injustice in Springfield while we continue to advocate for better public policies and call out root causes of injustice and inequity.”
E4TheFuture Executive Director Pat Stanton said, “Mold is one of the leading adverse health and safety conditions that make it impossible to install energy efficiency measures in existing older homes. Mold in rental properties is a clear indication of deferred property maintenance and high energy costs that are systemic in low-income communities.
When it comes to environmental justice, the people closest to the problems tend to be wisest about the solutions. E4TheFuture is excited to support Arise, and to keep learning from Tanisha and other dedicated community leaders.”
News outlets covering the grant include MSN, NBC affiliate WWLP, Masslive, HealthCare News, and Af-Am Point of View, among others.