Jewish Family Service of San Diego – �鶹��Ƶ

Mixed-Methods Tools for Program Co-Design, Iteration, and Assessment for a Guaranteed Income Program

Ada Inman — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:57:28 +0000

This report is a result of the collaborative partnership between the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP) and the Sage Project at San Diego State University (SDSU). The BWRP, a project sponsored by Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD), is a guaranteed income (GI) program intended to uplift low-income Black women and their families out of poverty by targeting the challenges they face. Research contained in this report was conducted as part of Dr. Kristen Maher’s Fall 2024 Political Science Seminar in Foundations of Public Policy (POL S 603) class at SDSU. The POL S 603 course focused on the theory and practice of policy-making, which comprises the design, agenda setting, tools, and implementation process. Students who opted to participate were tasked with exploring, researching and evaluating methods for tracking the project’s impact. The aim was gathering participant experiences and assessing the effects of the project. This report provides an overview of mixed-methods research and assessment approaches through a Participatory Action Research (PAR) framework, including a discussion of the affordances and constraints of narrative research, Photovoice, and community mapping methods.

Graphic Design Studio: Black Women’s Resilience Project

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:33:23 +0000

At the end of February, our studio met with clients Khea Pollard (Jewish Family Service) and Jessica Barlow (the Sage Project) to discuss the upcoming program, Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP). BWRP is a new initiative that supports low-income Black women in San Diego, primarily through guaranteed income and other community-based resources. In the hopes of fostering economic mobility and generational wealth, BWRP aims to redefine the existing models currently used to aid underserved and marginalized communities, starting with one of the most vulnerable populations. We were tasked with developing BWRP’s branding from scratch, including logos, colors, typefaces, patterns, and additional collateral. We were also asked to provide potential name options for the project, as the original name “Black Women’s Resilience Project” was perceived to be too long and better fitting for a tagline. There are three main groups that BWRP is targeting: those who are eligible to receive funding, potential funders for the initiative, and elected officials and staff, with a focus on policymakers. With the launch of this project, BWRP aims to remove the stigma surrounding those who receive support from similar programs. Additionally, BWRP hopes to heighten the understanding of their line of work among San Diegans. Keeping the goals and target audience of BWRP in mind, there were several approaches within our design team. Some explored different name options, while others worked with the existing name and acronym. Some worked solely with the letterforms within their logotype, while others created symbols that could work with the name or by itself.

Using a Culture-Centered Approach to Explore the Potential Impacts of Guaranteed Income on Black Women’s Health in San Diego

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:25:27 +0000

In collaboration with the San Diego State University Sage Project, undergraduate student researchers contributed to the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP) by conducting a qualitative research study in their Politics of Health Communication course (COMM 422). The goal of this study was to identify the connections between the guaranteed income (GI) initiative and health among Black community members in San Diego, addressing community perceptions about the benefits and barriers of accessing subsidized programs. The interview protocol was created to highlight the three key components of the Culture-Centered Approach (CCA) to health communication: culture, structure, and agency, which are used to explain the contributors of structural and health inequities among marginalized communities. Students interviewed key informants and community members who shared their personal experiences and perspectives to identify what changes may need to be made to increase awareness and utilization of GI. Using qualitative data analysis methods, the key findings revealed four stigmas and challenges associated with using cash assistance and having intersecting identities, including racial, socioeconomic, and gender backgrounds. First, communal perceptions of cash assistance depicted recipients being viewed as irresponsible or incapable of providing for themselves and their families. Second, social pressures for Black men and women may deter them from seeking assistance from subsidized programs in order to preserve their image as breadwinners, caretakers, and independent earners. Third, participants viewed subsidized programs as a “systemic trap,” often facing tensions to stay below limited income expectations in order to begin or maintain eligibility as a recipient of aid. Fourth, participants shared the inconvenient, discouraging, and intrusive nature of the application process, leaving questions about whether the time committed to completion would be worth their efforts and energy. Based on the themes identified in the findings, this report offers three recommendations that contribute to improving and expanding community engagement. Participants recommended prioritizing face-to-face communication with community members at places for gathering, increasing social media presence about the program, and the inclusion of testimonies from actual GI recipients in promotional materials.

Black Women’s Resilience Project supported by Jewish Family Services: Sustainable Business Consulting Report

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:18:49 +0000

Khea Pollard, CEO of Cafe X: as well as the creative mastermind for the Black Women’s Resilience Project has dedicated her career to supporting and advocating for communities of color in her residing city of San Diego. Cafe X serves as a hub and according to Khea: “It’s more than just coffee, it’s a movement to promote healing and communal wealth-building for communities of color inside a sacred space through activism and artivism, in a natural and respectful way, one cup at a time” (Pollard- LinkedIn). Her priority is speaking up for those who need help by any means necessary. Her current endeavor is working side by side with the Jewish Family Services of San Diego, in order to execute the Black Women’s Resilience Project. This project’s purpose is to gain enough recognition and financial funding in order to support 35 African American women with $1000 a month in supplemental income for 18 months. This project is set to launch sometime between June 19th- the end of summer 2024. With the help of San Diego State University’s Sustainable Marketing Class Consulting team, the Black Women’s Resilience Project team was hoping to gain some extra guidance through this launch. Additional help consisted of creating a Narrative Change Toolkit in order to fill the gap of social awareness regarding this project. Gaining social awareness, and allowing the public to learn more about the Black Women’s Resilience Project. The main task throughout this consultation is to create a toolkit of recommendations that the Black Women’s Resilience Project team can choose from to implement. The goal is to create public acknowledgment throughout the community, and spread the word that projects like these are available and accessible to the individuals who need them. With extensive research, our team has come up with a 4 recommendations for this team to potentially implement on their own timeline. A central hub of information regarding the Black Women’s Resilience Project is key for individuals to understand the application process, who is eligible, and other forms of assistance that may be of service to them. This narrative change toolkit will consist of: 1. A mock website to serve as a central information hub; 2. A mock flyer with QR codes in order to provide direct access to information; 3. A list of affiliated groups that may serve as a secondary source of spreading awareness of this project, such as school clubs or city programs; 4. A mock Instagram account with an example post in order to leave a footprint that will deem easy access for the younger generation.

Empowering Black Women in San Diego

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:16:09 +0000

According to Moslimani et al. (2024), underpinned by the US Census microdata from 2022, the Black population of the US is growing, from 36.2 million self-identified Black people in 2000 to an estimated 47.9 million people in 2022; this is an increase of 32% in two decades, making up 14.4% of the country’s current population. In the same period, San Diego County showed an increase of 14% between 2000 and 2022, with the Black population comprising 6.7% of the entire region’s demographics. When we zoom in on gender, the population of Black women has increased by only 4% during this timeframe, due to the self-identified mixed-race population, which rose from 21,296 in 2000 to a plateau of 34,507 in 2024, an increase of 62%. However, in the same period, the self-identified Black alone population has shrunk by 13%, ranging from 74,998 to 65,479. Even though the big numbers might indicate a more diverse society, they conceal challenges that must be addressed, especially for Black women in American society. With that in mind, this specific Sage Project partnership investigated the multifaceted challenges and strategies for empowering Black women in San Diego, focusing on economic disparities, political underrepresentation, social support, healthcare access, and cultural representation. Students from Professor Roberto Ivo’s P A 497 Investigation and Report class conducted a series of structured and unstructured interviews on and off-campus, comprising a sample of 20 individuals for each area of interest (5 in total), to map out challenges that require immediate action and initiatives that are already underway. Key findings revealed persistent economic and social disparities in the community due to historical discrimination, the vital role of community activism and cultural representation, the critical need for increased political representation, and the healthcare disparities faced by Black women. Strategic recommendations include implementing inclusive economic programs, enhancing political advocacy, developing comprehensive healthcare solutions, strengthening support networks and mentorship, and promoting cultural and community engagement. Overall, this work underscores the necessity of centering Black women’s voices and experiences in efforts to achieve social justice and systemic change, aiming for a more equitable future for Black women in San Diego.

Socioeconomic Struggles and Opportunities with Guaranteed Income: Community Engagement, Self-Actualization, Healthcare, and Economic Mobility

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:12:30 +0000

With support from the Sage Project at San Diego State University and in collaboration with the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP) and Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD), student researchers created a community needs assessment to collect information about the struggles of single Black mothers who live in the health equity zip codes established in San Diego County. The purpose of this research was to provide more insight into the characteristics of and challenges faced by Black mothers in San Diego in preparation for the launch of a new guaranteed income (GI) initiative of the BWRP and JFSSD, which will provide up to $1,000 a month for low-income Black mothers. The focus of this needs assessment was to measure participants’ feelings or status related to the four domains of focus as outlined by the BWRP: civic engagement and belonging, Black culture and self-actualization, behavioral and physical health, and economic mobility. First, the class was tasked with developing an understanding of these domains, as well as how GI programs typically function. The student researchers were then tasked with creating questions to reflect these domains and were split into eight groups based on the zip codes of interest. Once completed, researchers utilized multiple methods to recruit participants for the survey within the target population. The needs assessment was posted using QR codes on posters in community centers and links in online community groups, as well as administered in person by some groups. Sociodemographic results of participants displayed that roughly one third of the respondents fit the target population of the needs assessment, though responses from members of other racial or ethnic backgrounds, incomes, or marital statuses have been included to provide insight into the differing needs of mothers across the county. Results of questions on civic engagement and belonging displayed a significant disconnect between individuals and the communities in which they reside, especially for Black women. Regarding Black culture and self-actualization, results highlight a lack of feelings of agency by Black participants. Results of questions on economic mobility foreground the financial challenges that women face when providing for their home, despite the fact that nearly one third of the participants indicated that they are employed full time. As for behavioral and physical health, results displayed a disparity in insurance coverage between single and married individuals, as well as a lack of healthcare resources across the board.

“Social Determinants of Health and Their Impact on Black Women in San Diego County: The Social, Economic, and Environmental Factors that Shape Health Outcomes”

Ada Inman — Tue, 17 Sep 2024 15:07:43 +0000

In collaboration with the Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD) and under the guidance of the Sage Project, student researchers at San Diego State University collected existing data to aid the launch of the Black Women’s Resilience Project (BWRP)—a new initiative being launched by the JFSSD to support Black women living in San Diego. The student researchers assembled data from multiple surveys relating to social determinants of health (SDOH) in order to illustrate how Black women’s physical health outcomes are impacted by various social, financial, and environmental factors in San Diego. The goal of this research is to assess which SDOH most negatively affect Black women’s health outcomes in order to assist the BWRP in developing community-centered interventions. Overall, the findings suggest that Black women (and other women of color) consistently experience worse SDOH than White women, and thus experience worse physical and mental health outcomes. Possible recommendations for the BWRP include financially targeting SDOH with higher impacts on health outcomes and including financial planning in their service offerings to clients.