Opportunities Inc. is among organizations statewide that will be helping spread the word about the importance of being vaccinated against COVID-19.
The State of Wisconsin expects to immunize approximately 80 percent of the eligible population at a rapid pace. To accomplish this goal, the Department of Health Services (DHS) has awarded $6.3 million to 101 organizations to engage in community outreach.
DHS officials say the investment aims to increase vaccinations by supporting organizations to serve as trusted messengers within their communities, build vaccine confidence, and reduce barriers that hinder vaccine access for marginalized or underserved populations.
The focus will be on education, encouragement and empowering people of diverse ability, background, and life circumstance to vaccinate and advance health equity across Wisconsin.
Based in Fort Atkinson, Opportunities Inc. will use the $100,000 grant to engage not only its diverse workforce across multiple locations, but also leverage the expansive community and business partnerships to share information, influence, and accessibility options to increase vaccination awareness for those in targeted groups identified by DHS.
People of color, indigenous, Latinx, impoverished, physical and developmental disability, elderly and other barriers will be the focus of this outreach.
Barbara LeDuc, president and CEO of Opportunities Inc., said she is humbled by this invitation and eager to collaborate with other organizations to accomplish this goal.
“Opportunities Inc. is honored to engage our longstanding relationships with the public and private sector in collective pursuit of improving equity, inclusion and the health of all Wisconsin communities,” she said.
LeDuc said that Opportunities is launching the Community Outreach COVID Vaccine Project and will develop a host of resources that will be strategically distributed across the state. Videos and print materials in multiple forms and languages will be deployed by the agency’s Community Outreach Team, along with hosting additional vaccine clinics on site, duplicating the successful vaccine distribution to more than 80 people in March and April 2021.
Persons seeking more information on this project may contact Ann Janquart, vice president of employment services, at ajanquart@oppinc.com.
Meanwhile, SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation, which serves the counties of Dane, Jefferson, Lafayette, Iowa, Columbia, Rock, Sauk and Green, also has received a $100,000 grant.
The SSM Health St. Mary’s Foundation proposes to create a seamless transition from education and trust building to navigating vaccine access in an eight-county region in southern Wisconsin. The major activities include identification of communities who are in most need of focused support in accessing the vaccine, working with key leaders of these communities, and empowering and actively working alongside community leaders in talking about vaccination and the medical facts
Grant awardees such as Opportunities and SSM Health range from community-based organizations to local and tribal health departments, school districts, and health systems. Each applicant was required to submit a plan that included the geographic area or target population they serve and a strategy to help overcome barriers to vaccination.
“This pandemic has highlighted existing health inequities in Wisconsin and across the nation. Black, Indigenous, and people of color experience higher rates of infection, hospitalizations, and death from COVID-19,” said DHS Secretary-designee Karen Timberlake. “This grant program is rooted in the understanding that community-based organizations and trusted messengers are in the best position to promote acceptance of COVID-19 vaccination and increase accessibility to the vaccine within their communities.
“As part of our work to reach an 80 percent vaccination rate across our state, we have to ensure those Wisconsinites that have been hit hardest by the pandemic have the opportunity to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus,” she added.
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