Hackensack, NJ – Greater Bergen Community Action, Inc., Bergen County’s federally-designated anti-poverty Agency, which in recent years expanded to provide services in the cities of Paterson, Jersey City and Passaic, today announced that it was awarded a $100,000 grant from Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) towards work for vaccine equity, outreach and grassroots community organizing training – from July 1 to December 31, 2021.
The grant is part of RWJF’s efforts to provide humanitarian aid to families and communities feeling the greatest strain under the COVID-19 health emergency; and will support Greater Bergen in coordinating distribution of COVID-19 vaccines to vulnerable residents in 23 of Bergen County’s 70 municipalities – those with the lowest vaccination rates. Accordingly, Greater Bergen will train residents from those communities as COVID-19 Community Corps ambassadors to conduct outreach to community members.
Greater Bergen anticipates reaching up to 1,000 individuals, with a focus on Latinx residents, and will also work with residents in African American, Asian-American, and Ramapough Lenape Tribal Nation communities.
Lynne Algrant, Greater Bergen’s Vice President of Planning, Development and Communications who is also directing this project said, “Health is Wealth. We cannot begin to tackle the causes and conditions of poverty, until we are healthy and safe. We are grateful to RWJF for supporting work that will enable us to build a stronger, more resilient community through outreach and civic leadership.”
Funds from this grant will support a community outreach consultant; stipends for faith-based and other organizations that host vaccine events; and stipends for outreach ambassadors.
For more information on this vaccine equity project and where to receive assistance, contact Cynthia Arone (Cynthia.Arone@GreaterBergen.org). If you are interested in serving as a Community Ambassador, please contact Lynne Algrant (Lynne.Algrant@GreaterBergen.org).
Vaccines will be available on July 10 and 11 at the Boys and Girls Club of Lodi from 9 am to 12 pm.
ABOUT GREATER BERGEN COMMUNITY ACTION
Bergen Community Action (GBCA) is a 501(c)(3), not-for-profit Community Action Agency. Established in 1967, Greater Bergen is part of a nationwide network of poverty-fighting enterprises which were established as part of the nation’s effort to address the intractable and persistent problem of poverty in America. For more information about GBCA, go to www.greaterbergen.org.
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