Introduction
The current project focuses on the issue of disparities in access to resources that impact health outcomes, with financial resource availability limiting the access of certain groups to healthcare. Therefore, the health outcomes of underserved and low-income populations deteriorate due to exposure to health disparities. Considering the fact that preventive health care occurs from multiple angles and includes different support services, it is necessary to consider clothing an essential resource conducive to good health. However, some people may lack access to clothing due to its financial burdens, which is why it is important to reduce this pressure in the community context.
Furthermore, it is necessary to note that the lack of financial resources makes households choose between food and essential clothing. Besides, households with children require a higher turnover of clothing as kids are growing up and belong to the parts of the population that cannot afford to purchase new clothing and household items (Selmys, 2016). The research into clothing disparities has shown that there is a class divide that perpetuates inequality and health disparities, which is why, in close-knit communities, an intervention can help alleviate the identified burdens.
Community Assessment
Demographics
The demographics characterizing the community of Petersburg, TX, are based on 2019 data, when the total population was 1,132 citizens. The gender distribution is 56.6% females and 43.4% males. The median age of Petersburg residents is 36.9 years, as compared to the Texas median of 35. 1 year, while the median income of Petersburg households is $44,665, in contrast to the statewide median of $64,034 (City-Data, 2019). Importantly, 18.6% of the community’s residents live in poverty, with 100% of Black, 21.8% of Hispanic or Latino, 15.0% of other races, and 9.4% of White non-Hispanic residents reporting living in poverty.
Characteristics
The main characteristic of Petersburg, Texas, is that it is a small town with a close-knit community of residents who are likely to know one another and understand the general picture of the positive and negative aspects of their lives. As to the weather, the town tends to have long summers and cold and snowy winters, which points to the need to have two distinct seasonal wardrobes (Weather Spark, 2023).
Resources
In a smaller community, citizens have limited access to resources such as thrift stores and low-cost shopping locations. However, many non-profit organizations are abundant, including Charitable Spears Trust, Armstrong Family Foundation, The Bottle Of Hope Foundation, and many others.
Project Description
The main intent of the project is to alleviate the burden of clothing disparities because the post-COVID-19 context allowed for identifying gaps in access to clothing as the number of homeless individuals increased (Schuster, 2021). In addition, the aim of the project is to make sure that those in need can access affordable and clean clothing when needed, thus opening up a conversation within the community regarding access to clothing for underserved populations. In general, the project will aim to reduce the extent of clothing insecurity to enhance the target population’s quality of life.
Purpose
The project aims to improve health outcomes of the underserved population in Petersburg, TX, by reducing clothing disparities. The donations collected from the community will be donated to The Well charity, which will distribute donations to those in need. The project will meet the demand for expanding the range of resources available to underserved/low-income households while also engaging the public in the discussion of health disparities. Moreover, it is necessary to increase the media coverage of clothing disparities and gain support from policymakers regarding the elimination of the challenge.
Objectives
- Identify groups that require support from the community.
- Determine gaps in access that need immediate addressing.
- Engage community members in the initiative.
- Distribute resources among underserved groups.
- Continue needs assessment to meet the demand.
- Make the project a repeated occurrence depending on seasonality.
Application of the MAP-IT Strategy
The MAP-IT (Mobilize, Assess, Plan, Implement, and Track) approach is used to plan and evaluate community public health interventions.
STEP 1: Mobilize
The first step of the process is mobilizing community members and the charity organization The Well to collect donations. When mobilizing stakeholders, an emphasis is placed on providing access to clothing for underserved citizens/those living in poverty. Social media, leaflets, and face-to-face communication will be used to engage community members, while a House Representative for Petersburg was written to in order to gain support for the initiative.
STEP 2: Assess
The assessment stage of the strategy begins with the evaluation of community needs and resources, which aligns with the need for lower-income groups to have access to free or low-cost clothing and household items. Besides, the need to raise awareness of limited resource access among the population and the need to gain support from local legislators and representatives were assessed. It was found that there was a limited availability of resources instrumental in alleviating financial burdens, as well as a lack of community awareness of the underserved groups’ struggles.
STEP 3: Plan
At the planning stage, it was necessary to survey Petersburg citizens on their capacity and willingness to donate clothing and household items to The Well while also estimating the number of donors and recipients. Besides, at this stage, a map of households that must be visited for the donations to collect the clothing and other items was created. The planning also considered the need to evaluate the project’s outcomes and forecast the project’s potential recurrence to meet the target group’s seasonal needs.
STEP 4: Implement
The project’s implementation involved going around the town to collect donations from residents, referring to a pre-made list to ensure that recipients’ needs in clothing and household items were met. After the donation collection, the responsible individual sorted through the donations to categorize them for easier distribution. Then, all the donations were transferred to The Well, an organization that would distribute them among the recipients. At the final stage of the implementation, it was necessary to survey stakeholders on their feedback regarding the intervention.
STEP 5: Track
At the final step of the strategy, tracking progress was done through regular evaluations to measure the success of the project. Continuous tracking is essential because, as seasons change, additional clothing and household items may be needed. In the winter, such items as coats, sweaters, and boots will become relevant for the population in need. In the future, both recipients and donors will be surveyed on their needs and their capacity to donate. After the project implementation, recipients will be surveyed to see whether there are any gaps remaining.
Intervention Wheel
The current project is a community-focused, population-based intervention encompassing a combination of three intervention types based on the Intervention Wheel framework (Fig. 1). The intervention aligns with community-organizing efforts as it aims to ensure that Petersburg citizens come together to give underserved groups access to free/affordable clothing and household items.
The project also includes coalition-building efforts through the creation and promotion of alliances between community members, policymakers, and House representatives. Finally, it enhances Petersburg’s collaborative capacity for promoting the population’s health by reducing clothing disparities.
Intervention SWOT Analysis
Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths of the intervention aimed at addressing clothing disparities include the engagement of the community in helping one another and facilitative efforts of building a coalition of like-minded individuals who care about eliminating disparities. Besides, the collaboration with a local charity to address the issue will bring attention to the problem on a larger scale. On the downside, the intervention is small-scale, and there are limited resources available for charitable donations. Besides, there is a lack of the public’s general understanding of clothing disparities and their impact on the community.
Opportunities and Threats
The opportunities of the project include raising awareness of persistent clothing disparities, which are often overlooked, engaging local and state media to shed light on the community issue, and getting support from legislators to create a comprehensive policy in the future. Regarding the threats of the intervention, it should be noted that policymakers may continuously overlook the problem because it is not as evident as others. Besides, there may not be enough community support on a long-term basis, and the interest in addressing clothing disparities may dissipate over time.
Project Outcomes
The outcomes of the project are numerous, with the most prominent being the short-term alleviation of the financial burden within the lower-income community in Petersburg, TX. It entailed that underserved citizens received support from more advantaged community members, which enabled building a sense of community and mutual understanding, which is conducive to improved quality of life for the disadvantaged/low-income population of Petersburg. Besides, the project set a positive example for neighboring towns and raised awareness of the disparities that affect population health.
Relationship to Health Policy
While there is no specific policy that addresses clothing disparities in health, on a community scale, the project helped eliminate clothing-related disparities that affect health outcomes and raised awareness of the financial burdens linked to obtaining clothing. In addition, it enabled further considerations of policies that guarantee access to affordable/free essential items that some households lack. The project showed that an explicit policy should address the needs and challenges of the underserved population and meet the demand for a comprehensive approach to reducing health disparities.
During the project implementation, a letter to U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions from the House Committee on Financial Services was written to call the representative to help allocate funding for future non-profit projects dealing with clothing insecurity in rural communities. Through collaboration with the Rep., it is possible to build coalitions and enhance the much-needed community-building efforts. Besides, it was communicated to the Rep. that there were notable racial disparities in the context of income inequality in the area. Furthermore, the Rep. was asked to consider drafting a policy to serve as a framework for future efforts.
Evaluation
The project has illustrated that policymakers often overlook clothing-related disparities because no specific policies to alleviate the burden. Because low-income households struggle with the issue the most, a community-based intervention has the potential to help address the immediate challenges. Overall, the combination of collaboration, coalition building, and community organizing comprises an intervention that allows for meeting the needs of the target group. The flexibility of the project and the focus on the specific needs make it possible for the intervention to be repeated.
Conclusion
To conclude, disparities in health are the consequence of systematic inequality; however, clothing disparities are not considered as important as food insecurity or access to services. Despite this, no one should be forced to choose between purchasing food and getting essential clothing items, which is why communities should support less advantaged members. Besides, it is recommended that healthcare professionals look out for individuals experiencing clothing insecurity. At the same time, policymakers should pay more attention to the problem in the long run.
References
Blatt, D. (2021). Providing clothing to families facing poverty should be more than a funding accessory. Web.
City-Data. (2019). Petersburg, Texas. Web.
Schuster, K. (2021). Making a difference during COVID-19: one sock at a time. Web.
Selmys, M. (2016). I rely on thrift stores to keep my family clothed and fed. What you donate matters. Vox. Web.
Weather Spark. (2023). Climate and average weather year-round in Petersburg, Texas, United States. Web.