Based on the Environmental Justice Action Force’s recommendations, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment created the Environmental Justice Community Connector Program. Community connectors are community organizations that help community members access resources, environmental health information, and opportunities to engage with state government. They are also known as promotoras, community bridges, community advisors, cultural brokers, or trusted gatekeepers. Promotoras is a term used for residents and identified leaders in the community who work for community-based health promotion projects.
The program collaborates with community organizations serving disproportionately impacted communities across Colorado. Disproportionately impacted communities include low-income communities, communities of color, communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change, and some other categories.
These organizations help connect community members with the department’s decision-making processes. The program also helps build trust and two-way communication between CDPHE’s environmental health divisions and communities disproportionately impacted by pollution and climate change.
In August, the department announced the second year of the Community Connector Program. Participating organizations submitted a statement of interest as a part of the application requirement.
CDPHE received a total of 20 applications. After reviewing the applications, the department selected the following community connector organizations for the second year of the program:
- Groundwork Denver.
- Community, Research, Education and Awareness Results - Americas for the Arts and Conservation.
- Cultivando.
- GreenLatinos.
- Mothers Out Front - Pueblo Chapter.
- Black Parents United Foundation.
- Rocky Mountain Service Employment Redevelopment — Pueblo.
- NAACP — Denver and Aurora branches.
- 9to5 Colorado.
These organizations will receive between $5,000 and $15,000 in funding depending on the scope of the work they engage in with CDPHE. They will work with CDPHE on community engagement events from October 2023 to June 2024. Examples of events from year one include testing garden soil for lead; informational sessions on how to engage in upcoming rulemakings; and door-to-door outreach with residents of a Superfund site.