34th Annual Student Research Conference
Promoting Social Justice in Rural Communities Through 501(c)(3) Organizations: A Case Study of Rural Community Workers Alliance in Northeast Missouri
Andrew T. Zieba
Dr. Roberta Donahue, Faculty Mentor
This case study details the inception and evolution of the Rural Community Workers Alliance (RCWA). This 501(c)(3) organization was created to address the mistreatment of immigrant and refugee workers in northeast Missouri but has since expanded to focus on local social justice issues. Recently, RCWA found itself and its local efforts in the national media spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic and is currently a grant recipient for the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Using insider perspectives, this case study describes and interprets changes in the role and function of the organization over time. The insights draw on the experiences of both founder and Executive Director Axel Fuentes and my own as a Truman student volunteer. This case study provides a replicable model for effectively promoting social justice through a local 501(c)(3) that may prove useful for other rural communities struggling to address economic, political, social, and human rights.
Keywords: social justice , Rural Community Workers Alliance, case study, rural, human rights, 501(c)(3)
Topic(s):Health Science
Presentation Type: Asynchronous Virtual Oral Presentation
Session: 12-1
Location: https://flipgrid.com/8cc1d4c6
Time: 0:00