$707K To Help Health Ambassadors Push For COVID-19 Vaccinations

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — More than $700,000 will be awarded to nine organizations in Anne Arundel County that are working on ensuring equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution in the county. The funds will enable the organizations to hire health ambassadors to canvass communities and distribute culturally appropriate informational materials about the COVID-19 disease and vaccine. The ambassadors will target census tracts that have the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.

The grant money is being funded through the COVID Mass Vaccination CARES Initiative of the Maryland Department of Health, Prevention and Health Promotion Administration.

“The communities in our county with the lowest vaccination rates are the ones that have been most impacted by COVID-19,” Anne Arundel County Executive Steuart Pittman said. “The organizations receiving these grants will canvass neighborhoods, talk to residents directly and fill our vaccination appointments. That’s how our communities will recover from this pandemic.”

Anne Arundel County Health Officer Nilesh Kalyanaraman said that equitable access to the COVID-19 vaccine is a "high priority" right now.

“Our data shows that COVID-19 has had a disproportionate impact on Black, Hispanic, low income and older individuals," Kalyanaraman said.

County data specifically shows that Black residents are 1.4 times more likely and Hispanic residents are 2.4 times more likely to get COVID-19 than white residents. People age 65 and older of all races and ethnicities accounted for more than 85 percent of all COVID-19 deaths but only 12 percent of all cases. Vaccination rates also are lower in communities where the average income is below the poverty line.

The organizations receiving awards are listed below:

• Anne Arundel County Community Action Agency - $58,000
• Funds will be used to reach out to South County community services, including food banks, baby banks, libraries, grocery stores and events, to educate community members about the safety and importance of COVID-19 vaccinations.
• CASA de Maryland, Inc. (Anne Arundel County Chapter) - $98,000
• Funds will be used to hire and train students to serve as part-time health ambassadors. Funds will also help expand existing and ongoing Hispanic/Latino community engagement work, with a focus on Annapolis, Brooklyn Park, Glen Burnie, Laurel and surrounding ZIP codes.
• Center of Help - $90,000
• Funds will be used to support case navigators to reach and educate the Black and Hispanic/Latino communities and provide equitable vaccination services. Health ambassadors will attend weekly food distributions, programs at the Center of Help and its partner organizations, and community events.
• ElevateHER - $90,000
• Funds will be used to provide health workers at a grassroots neighborhood level. Activities will include canvassing on foot as well as engagement at pop-up micro-center sites, community centers, businesses, and houses of faith. The health ambassadors will offer vaccine registration and support for keeping vaccination appointments.
• Growth Matters LLC - $93,000
• Funds will be used to support vaccine education and resources for Anne Arundel County residents through door-to-door engagement. Growth Matters will collaborate with Hands of Hope, Inc. and over 30 faith-based organizations through the Whose House God's House Initiative, which has churches as advocates for community vaccinations.
• Heritage Community Church - $32,575
• Funds will target the Hispanic/Latino population in the Severn area and will be used to host the Hispanic Health Festival, provide educational vaccine materials and serve as a host site for vaccinations.
• Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis - $50,000
• Funds will be used to provide vaccine information at home visits in HACA’s residential communities. HACA houses over 1,100 families and will provide educational materials, vaccination registrations, and pop-up events for its residents.
• Kingdom Kare Inc. - $98,000
• Funds will be used to canvass communities in the western and northern parts of the county and participate in food distributions to distribute print materials. Kingdom Kare will engage with residents utilizing culturally competent and tailored materials. Kingdom Kare will partner with the United Black Clergy of Anne Arundel County which consists of over 52 clergy leaders.
• Maryland Reentry Resource Center - $98,000
• Funds will be used to reduce an existing language barrier by providing vaccine education and registration assistance. The Maryland Reentry Resource Center will collaborate with My Life Foundation to provide outreach to the Asian population. My Life Foundation has provided direct services to over 1,500 Asian American residents in central Maryland, most of whom reside in Anne Arundel County.
• Total - $707,575