Philadelphia, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today joined local lawmakers, community leaders and medical professionals in North Philadelphia to highlight a new grant program that will support the efforts of community organizations conducting outreach on COVID-19 vaccines.

“Pennsylvania’s COVID-19 vaccination rates continue to increase, protecting our health and the health of our most vulnerable individuals who are unable to get the vaccine yet; namely, children under age 12. While we’ve made great strides, there is still work to be done,” Gov. Wolf said. “There are many trusted grassroots organizations that are using their established relationships in our communities to raise awareness, reduce hesitancy and address barriers to vaccine access. This grant program will put money and resources into the hands of the best people to do this work.”

The $5 million COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Grant Program is available to eligible organizations, including non-profits, child care and educational institutions. The program will provide grants from $10,000 up to $100,000 to support proactive, targeted outreach efforts such as sponsorship of vaccine-related community events, equipment rental to assist with setting vaccine appointments, local media buys, creation of outreach and training materials and more.

Seventy percent of Pennsylvanians ages 18 and older are fully vaccinated. However, many communities are still experiencing disparities in vaccination, including Black/African Americans, Latinx, the LGBTQ community, low-income persons, persons experiencing homelessness, persons less likely to use the Internet and others without Internet access, persons residing in rural or geographically isolated areas and persons who have distrust in the government.

“The people standing with us today, along with hundreds of others in our communities, are doing heroic work trying to end this pandemic by reaching out to the reluctant and battling misinformation,” said state Senator Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia/Montgomery). “State support for this effort will help keep the momentum going and the work spreading street by street and house by house.”

Eligible applicants can submit applications through November 1, 2021. Full instructions for application, as well as complete program guidelines, can be found on the Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED).

“Getting every eligible Pennsylvanian vaccinated is our goal. That’s what we need to do to end this pandemic and innovative programs like this one will help us get there,” Gov. Wolf said. “I encourage all Pennsylvanians who haven’t been vaccinated to visit a pharmacy or a vaccine clinic today to get your shot.”

For more information about the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit the DCED website, and be sure to stay up-to-date with all of our agency news on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.

MEDIA CONTACT: Lyndsay Kensinger, Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov

# # #