Lead by Example: Equitably Addressing Disparities in Lead Exposure through Collective Impact
By: Cassie Bolinger, Lead-Free NJ Program Coordinator
Pictured from left to right: Ben Haygood, Stephanie Greenwood, Memphis Madden, Shereyl Snider, Barbara George Johnson
Leadership and partners of Lead-Free NJ demonstrated the value of collective impact actions at the annual Housing and Community Development Network Conference on October 29, 2024. The workshop, “Lead by Example: Equitably Addressing Disparities in Lead Exposure through Collective Impact”, with Shereyl Snider (East Trenton Collaborative), Memphis Madden (City of Trenton), Stephanie Greenwood (Victoria Foundation), and Ben Haygood (Isles) was moderated by Barbara George Johnson, Vice President of External Affairs and Urban Policy and Research at Kean University. Three main themes emerged through the discussion: The Power of Community-Oriented Solutions in Trenton, Lead Poisoning is a Symptom of Systemic Inequality, and Lead Paint Support is Available
The Power of Community-Oriented Solutions in Trenton
Shereyl Snider, Community Organizer for East Trenton Collaborative (ETC) and Lead-Free NJ’s community hub in Trenton, opened the discussion with a reflection on her path to lead poisoning prevention advocacy. When she joined the ETC in 2019, she didn’t know what lead was, but quickly came to understand that, as she puts it,
“this toxin is so diabolical, and it is hurting so many children and adults.”
In addition to advocating for childhood lead poisoning prevention, Shereyl points out that lead exposure impacts adults too, contributing to preeclampsia, strokes, high blood pressure, kidney damage, and more.
Shereyl and her team are raising awareness about lead exposure prevention and resources in Trenton through billboards, t-shirts, and community events because, as Shereyl explained, “You can’t get the lead out if the community you’re trying to help doesn’t even know that this toxin exists.” Shereyl’s call to action is for everyone to break out of their silos and work together on lead exposure prevention.
Get the Lead Out of Trenton t-shirts at Trenton’s Second Annual Lead Awareness Day and Community BBQ. Pictured left to right: Shereyl Snider, Heather Sorge, Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora, Mercer County Executive Dan Besnon, Deandrah Cameron
Memphis Madden, public health educator for the City of Trenton Department of Health, spoke about the City’s childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts and collaboration with partners, including ETC. The City of Trenton works around the clock to provide nurse case management services and lead inspections for Mercer County (except Hamilton and Princeton), Somerset County, and six towns in Morris County.
Recently, increased attention has been brought to lead in Trenton after the United States Environmental Protection Agency found elevated levels of soil in residential yards, parks, and a school in the East Trenton
neighborhood. In response, the City Department of Health took a proactive think-beyond-the-desk approach of offering blood lead level testing on-site at the impacted school. When testing rates at the school started to dwindle, the City responded quickly by launching a door-knocking outreach campaign and hosting community events on the weekend with mobile blood lead level testing. In October, the City of Trenton partnered with the ETC to host an event, the Second Annual Lead Awareness Day and Community BBQ, featuring onsite blood lead level testing, a bouncy house, music, food, games, and services. Community turnout was great, demonstrating that bringing services directly to people is effective.
As a parent herself who was born and raised in Trenton, Memphis is motivated by compassion for her community. The Health Department has worked to not only meet residents where they are, but also to foster trust. They created welcoming t-shirts with images of children that look like the community, and they work on reducing barriers to services by providing transportation and supplies. To ground her work, Memphis asks herself “What would I expect to receive as a parent if I weren’t sitting on this side of the table?”
Lead Poisoning is a Symptom of Systemic Inequality
The workshop continued by connecting the local perspective shared by Shereyl and Memphis to state-level initiatives. Stephanie Greenwood, Senior Strategy Officer for Victoria Foundation, challenged the audience to consider the root causes of lead poisoning and shared insights gained through her work convening collective impact committees at the local level in Newark and at the state level with Lead-Free NJ. A major insight is that lead poisoning is a symptom of systemic inequality. Following generations of disinvestment from Black and Brown communities through redlining and segregation, landlords are either unable or unwilling to maintain the quality of homes, leading to a disproportionate prevalence of lead poisoning in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods. To repair and reinvest, Stephanie advises centering the needs of the people most impacted by the issue, coordinating work between systems, and prioritizing a whole-house approach that addresses additional health and safety issues related to lead exposure such as asthma and home weatherization.
As this work moves forward during a moment of unprecedented federal and state funding, Stephanie urges us to center equity to avoid further perpetuating racial, economic, and environmental injustices. Avenues to consider include supporting small, local landlords committed in their neighborhoods, models where tenants build wealth, and community land trusts. She left the audience with a probing question:
“Can we figure out …how to braid and target these resources and drive them into structures that anchor permanent affordability for the communities that we’re trying to serve?”
Lead Paint Support is Available and Services Should Consider the Whole House
Following Stephanie’s reflections on the importance of centering equity, lived experience, and root causes, Ben Haygood, Director of Policy & Partnerships for Isles, spoke about the services that are currently available for families to improve home conditions. Isles provides free lead paint assessments and remediation in addition to energy efficiency, home health, and wrap-around services for families. Ben explained how NJ recently enacted a state law that requires lead paint inspections of rental housing, the first time the state has taken a proactive approach to lead poisoning prevention. Currently, a historic amount of funding is available to support lead remediation. Through the end of 2026, NJDCA is offering funding at no cost to remediate lead hazards found in homes. To support the workforce needed for this initiative, Isles is offering free training to contractors. Ben reflected on the importance of a Whole Homes approach and the challenges imposed by restricted funding sources that only allow for work on certain issues like lead or weatherization.
This group of presenters brought to the forefront issues that are intertwined, but often dealt with separately including community organizing, blood lead level testing, the health impact of lead for children and adults, the lead paint inspection law, free lead paint remediation services, and the legacy of racial redlining. Reaching out across silos, connecting resources, and developing holistic solutions that are guided by equity and those most impacted by the issue will enable lead poisoning prevention in New Jersey.
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Lead-Free NJ is a statewide collaborative dedicated to lead poisoning prevention in New Jersey through holistic lead remediation, equitable policy change, and empowered communities. The collaborative centers community hubs, which are local grassroots organizations that advance and define the collaborative’s goals while organizing for solutions in their local communities. Lead-Free NJ also has policy-focused committees working on housing, water, and health.