Harrisburg, PA – Governor Tom Wolf today announced $2.5 million in state funding that will help grassroots organizations across the commonwealth encourage hesitant Pennsylvanians to get the COVID-19 vaccine. A list of the 65 grants awarded through the COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Grant Program can be found online.

“Vaccines remain an absolutely essential element in combatting the COVID-19 pandemic, however there are still Pennsylvanians who are hesitant to get their first dose,” Gov. Wolf said. “By providing funding to grassroots organizations for vaccine outreach efforts, we’re enabling them to serve as trusted messengers in vaccine-hesitant communities and promote the COVID-19 vaccine as a safe and effective way to protect themselves and their loved ones from the virus.”

The grassroots efforts supported by the program build upon the ongoing statewide public health awareness campaign, PA Unites Against COVID-19. Grantee organizations will work to educate their communities on the COVID-19 vaccine to improve uptake of the vaccine for the health and safety of Pennsylvania. This program provides the necessary funding to community organizations to educate their community regarding COVID-19 vaccination to address hesitancy concerns and barriers and to provide direction on where and how to schedule a vaccine appointment.

“The Department of Health remains committed to eliminating obstacles and challenges that prevent Pennsylvanians from getting vaccinated,” said Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson. “Thanks to our incredible vaccine providers, and the ‘PA Unites Against COVID’ campaign, we are continuing to do that by providing educational materials, events, vaccine toolkits and posters in multiple languages to help encourage people to get vaccinated. I am impressed by the tens of thousands of Pennsylvanians who are stepping up every day to get their first, second or third dose of vaccine to protect themselves, their loved ones and their neighbors against COVID-19.”

Later today, Dr. Johnson will join Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Secretary Dennis Davin at the Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh to celebrate the grant awards and further discuss the importance of grassroots vaccine outreach.

“On behalf of the whole team, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to Governor Wolf’s administration for the much-needed grant,” said Khara Timsina, Executive Director, Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh. “This grant is going to help us reach and educate families in the Bhutanese community in Pittsburgh that have been hard to reach and make sure they have the needed resources surrounding COVID-19.”

The COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach Grant Program is administered by DCED and provides grants up to $100,000 to non-profit organizations and childcare and educational institutions. These grants will support grassroots outreach efforts including local media buys, creation of outreach and training materials, sponsorship of vaccine-related community events, equipment rental to assist with setting vaccine appointments, and more.

The grant recipients are as follows:

Allegheny County

• Bhutanese Community Association of Pittsburgh: $20,000
• Northside Leadership Conference: $40,000
• The Kingsley Association: $75,000

Allegheny and Westmoreland counties

• Neighborhood Resilience Project: $10,000

Berks County

• Penn State Health St. Joseph: $30,000
• We Agape You: $15,000

Chester and Montgomery counties

• Maternal & Child Health Consortium of Chester County: $24,250

Cumberland and Franklin counties

• Shippensburg University: $50,000

Dauphin County

• Latino American Hispanic Community Center: $32,400

Delaware County

• Casa de Venezuela, Inc: $15,000
• The Foundation for Delaware County: $90,000

Erie County

• R. B. Wiley Community Charter School: $15,000

Fulton and Potter counties

• PennPIRG Education Fund: $50,000

Lancaster County

• Patients R Waiting, Inc.: $90,000

Lancaster and York counties

• Spanish American Civic Association (SACA): $73,500

Lehigh County

• Promise Neighborhoods of the Lehigh Valley: $43,500
• Unidos Inc.: $50,000

Montgomery County

• Abington School District: $44,000
• ACLAMO: $30,000
• Bethlehem Baptist Church: $10,000
• Montco SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County): $3,250
• Lower Moreland Township School District: $8,700

Philadelphia

• 63rd Street Business Association: $50,000
• A New Spirit Behavioral Health Services Foundation: $23,000
• ACHIEVEability: $50,000
• Caring People Alliance: $22,000
• It Takes Philly: $25,000
• KenCrest Services: $35,000
• Kensington Voice at the Federation of Neighborhood Centers: $24,000
• Labakcare Organization Inc: $10,000
• Muslim Aid Initiative (MAI): $45,000
• Northeast Philadelphia Chinese Association (NEPCA) of Culture Trust Greater Philadelphia: $15,000
• Northeast Philadelphia Development Corporation: $37,000
• Northwest Counseling Service (NWCS), Inc.: $15,000
• Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation: $25,000
• Philadelphians Organized to Witness Empower & Rebuild: $50,000
• Savage Sisters Recovery inc.: 10,000
• TIS (To Inspire Strong) African Children Fund, Inc. dba TIS Foundation: $30,000
• WHYY, Inc.: $50,000

Philadelphia and Chester counties

• Mighty Writers: $50,000
• Lincoln University: $20,000

Philadelphia and Delaware counties

• Forum Philly: $50,000
• Lindley Academy Charter School: $3,500
• Rising Hope for Change Inc.: $20,000

Philadelphia and Montgomery counties

• Federation Early Learning Services: $10,000
• K Cul Foundation: $20,000
• Keystone Hospice: $20,000
• Women’s Campaign International: $40,000

Statewide

• Generations Online: $60,000
• West Chester University: $11,000

York

Multiple Counties

• American Lung Association – Bedford, Tioga, Fulton, Potter, Clinton, Bradford, Wayne, Pike, Monroe, Carbon, Wyoming, and Susquehanna counties: $70,000
• Cheyney University of PA – Berks, Dauphin, Chester, Lebanon, Delaware, York, Lancaster, Cumberland, Montgomery, Perry, and Philadelphia counties: $50,000
• Council of Indian Organizations in Greater Philadelphia – Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, Chester, and Philadelphia counties: $10,000
• Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit – Columbia, Montour, Snyder, Northumberland, and Union counties: $100,000
• Sikh Society of Harrisburg – Dauphin, Cumberland, Allegheny, Philadelphia, Delaware, Franklin, Erie, Berks, Lehigh, and Adams counties: $20,000
• Main Line Chinese Culture Center – Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties: $25,000
• The Wright Center Medical Group – Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe, Pike, Susquehanna, Wayne, and Wyoming counties: $75,000
• United Way of Lackawanna and Wayne Counties – Lackawanna, Wayne, and Pike counties: $100,000
• Great Wall Chinese School – Montgomery, Delaware and Philadelphia counties: $5,000 \
• PA Professional Image Alliance – Philadelphia, Delaware, and Chester counties, $50,000
• Philip Jaisohn Memorial Foundation, Inc. – Philadelphia, Delaware, Montgomery, and Bucks counties: $80,000
• Guanghua Chinese Association – Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester counties: $25,000
• Gente De Venzuela – Philadelphia, York, Allegheny, Bucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Chester, Berks, and Lehigh counties: $150,000
• Jeff Eggleston – Warren, McKean, Forest, and Elk counties: $50,000

As of today, approximately 70 percent of Pennsylvanians age 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. By partnering with grassroots organizations that are considered trusted voices in these communities, this program is intended to increase vaccine uptake within those communities and increase the vaccination rate for all of Pennsylvania.

To find a COVID-19 vaccine provider near you, use the CDC vaccine search. United, Pennsylvanians can stop the spread of COVID-19.

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: Elizabeth Rementer, Governor’s Office, ra-gvgovpress@pa.gov, 717-783-1116 Penny Ickes, DCED, dcedpress@pa.gov Mark O’Neill, Health, ra-dhpressoffice@pa.gov

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