SouthCoast Community Foundation grants over $400K to address Covid-19 vaccine equity

NEW BEDFORD, Mass. (WLNE)- The SouthCoast Community Foundation will grant $433,567 from its Emergency Response Fund to address Covid-19 vaccine equity and hesitancy, the organization announced Thursday.

The foundation will partner with city health officials and community leaders to target funding toward programs in Brockton, Fall River, and New Bedford.

Health centers in those communities will use the funding to establish multi-lingual support teams and to boost vaccine education and distribution efforts.

“We were worried that members in our communities were reluctant to take advantage of the vaccine or were potentially being left out of the process,” stated SouthCoast Community Foundation Director of Engagement, Sarah Rose. “When the Emergency Response Fund was established fourteen months ago, we tackled the urgency of food security, housing, mental health, and child support. Now that vaccines are available, it is critically important that we partner with local non-profits to get everyone healthy again.”

The SouthCoast Community Foundation said this is the first round of grants to address COVID-19 vaccine equity.