Pasadena Community Foundation Funds Equitable Vaccine Collaboration to Target Pasadena Populations Most Impacted by COVID-19
March 17, 2021
Pasadena, CA. – Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) announces its funding of a collaboration between the Pasadena Public Health Department (PPHD) and Planned Parenthood Pasadena & San Gabriel Valley (PPPSGV) to get the COVID-19 vaccine to underserved Pasadena-area residents equitably, efficiently, and quickly. PCF’s grant enabled an allocation of 1,600 Moderna vaccine doses from the city’s health department to PPPSGV’s Health Center in north Pasadena, where staff have quickly built capacity for a 16-week, community-focused vaccination clinic. Clinics are held twice a week and are designed to outreach, educate, and deliver vaccine in a culturally competent manner to Pasadena’s most vulnerable populations.
PCF’s funding supported PPPSGV in establishing the clinic and creating effective grassroots outreach to targeted demographics. By canvassing area restaurants and other businesses, staff members have been able to connect essential workers to the clinic. Moreover, they have also tailored communication materials and methods to help community partners and their stakeholders navigate the complex vaccine enrollment process and overcome issues around vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. Onsite, educational materials are available in multiple languages, and staff members are well trained to anticipate and answer a broad range of questions to help “myth bust.”
For PPHD’s Director and Health Officer Dr. Ying-Ying Goh, this type of community-focused clinic serves a critical niche in the historic immunization effort. “The PPPSGV community vaccine clinic is different from and compliments larger mass-vaccination sites by reaching communities that might not otherwise access the COVID-19 vaccine. Our data show that partnerships with trusted community-based organizations measurably increase the number of Latinx and African American individuals who are vaccinated.”
PPPSGV is a natural partner, says Dr. Goh, because it can “leverage personal outreach, share accurate information, and navigate structural barriers like language and transportation,” ultimately bringing the vaccine to more of our community hardest hit by the pandemic. PPPSGV President and CEO Sherri Bonner agrees, noting that her organization is “a trusted health care provider in the communities we serve, and our care is centered on patients who have the most challenging time accessing preventive care. We are incredibly proud to partner with Pasadena Community Foundation in establishing a COVID-19 vaccine clinic that provides access to people heavily impacted by the pandemic.” To date, PPSGV has used more than 550 doses of the Moderna vaccine with approximately 225 patients (2 doses each). Pasadena seniors over age 65 account for 33% of that total.
For PCF President and CEO Jennifer DeVoll, the clinic program has been an exciting opportunity to extend the Foundation’s ongoing pandemic response. “PCF continues to be at the forefront of local COVID-19 relief efforts by recognizing that equitable vaccination is critical in alleviating the pandemic’s impact. This has been a meaningful collaboration between the city, PPSGV, and PCF and underscores the importance of an innovative model for vaccine rollout.”
March 17 2021. PCF Funds Community Vaccine Collaboration
About the Pasadena Community Foundation
Founded in 1953, Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) is a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people of Pasadena. Managing nearly $130 million in charitable assets, PCF works with individuals, families, and organizations to establish philanthropic funds, create and build endowment funds, and distribute charitable gifts to nonprofit organizations.
Media Contact:
Sarah Hilbert
Pasadena Community Foundation
Marketing & Communications Manager
(626) 796-2097 x8
shilbert@pasadenacf.org