Volunteer with CLASH

If you are intersted in volunteering, you can begin by signing up for the CLASH weekly Stay in Touch e-news or reach out to clevelandleadsafe@gmail.com

Volunteer opportunities in March and April

• • What do you really think? CLASHers are invited to submit blog postings on lead safety at our "what do you really think..." webpage. CLASH reserves the right to edit for appropriateness, clarity, and decency. blog posts must be lead related, no personal attacks or electioneering.

  • Canvassing -- CLASH and our member organization NEOCH will be doing lit drops in CMHA properties where lead risks assessments will be going on. Goals will be to provide information on the impending lead risk assessments, encourage residents to take an online survey about lead safety, and to identify residents who would like to take leadership around lead safety activities. CLASH and NEOCH will be holding a training in February to familiarize volunteers with the basics materials and procedures. Watch for news of Canvassing training in March.

  • Tabling -- Tabling at community events: Beginning in March, CLASH will be providing lead safe information at community events. Most of these will be one-off events sponsored by other community groups, but we're hoping to have some recurrent events like first Saturdays at Coit Road Farmers Market and we're planning sponsor a series of Lead Safe Resource Fairs through the summer.  Tablers need a little basic info about Lead Safety and some techniques for working with residents who stop to talk. CLASH will be holding a training for tablers in April. Will you join us?

  • Soil testing project: Last year CLASH sponsored 4 Soil Testing events where EPA staff came to Cleveland and used an XRF machine to screen soil samples. EPA is not available to do this in 2025, but we are still getting requests for sampling events. We'll need a couple of volunteers who can be  trained in the use of an XRF machine and a project manager who can be trained to identify a location and manage outreach to prospective participants.

  • Campaign management: CLASH is hoping to put together a coalition of Ohio organizations to lobby for the adoption of a Universal Child Testing program. There could be a range of organizing, lobbying, legal analysis, and public mobilization activities. Someone from DSA who has experience with coalition building could assist in pulling together the working group that will oversee the project plan. 

  • Public Records Research. CLASH is looking for volunteers who can do online research. One example is to become fluent in the City of Cleveland Data on Rental Registration data page. Another involves learning more about the Cleveland Water Department's plans to replace lead pipes

  • Public Records Research. Before approaching the City of Maple Heights about a Lead Safe Certificate plan, CLASH needs some data. Number of pre-1978 Rentals, Number of EBLL children, Existing rental registration and inspection laws and procedures, any media stories of lead safety in Maple. Can you help?

  • Legislative analysis: What are the recommendations and duties for school water testing under the new Lead and Copper rule? What are policies in CMSD? What are policies in other states. 

  • You may have other ideas about how to bring your individual skills to an existing CLASH projects. Serendipity is the mother of invention.

Primers on Public Records Research

Sharing skills outside the newsroom: How “🔎 Public Records Are Power 💪” opened journalists’ knowledge to audiences. A local news collaborative in Northeast Ohio met a need for audiences by offering a free text-message course on how to access public records.

July 1, 2018 OSBA Law & Media Committee How To Make a Public Records Request. "A model public records request letter has been developed for your use. Before you start drafting your letter, here are a few steps you should consider first."