Vaccine Equity Campaign | Cohort One

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, agencies realized that there were pockets of communities that were not being reached due to barriers. To overcome these barriers, these agencies created funding opportunities for trusted local community-based organizations to bring vaccination awareness to their communities.

In partnership with the Sierra Health Foundation and the California Department of Public Health, the California State Alliance of YMCAs worked with six YMCAs from November 2021 to May of 2022 to host vaccination sites and distribute vaccination awareness and access information to improve vaccination rates among communities in the state.

Through their long-standing histories within their communities, each YMCA created a culturally relevant, localized approach that would cause a ripple effect to reach the goals of the grant:

• Central Coast YMCA partnered with their public health department to host biweekly vaccination pop-up sites. They also offered testing at their local branches for families.
• Southeast Ventura County YMCA partnered with Bien Vecino, another locally trusted community partner, to host vaccination pop-up sites.
• YMCA of Greater Whittier utilized their parent communication app to reach their childcare families with information and vaccine-access opportunities.
• Sonoma County Family YMCA broadcasted a PSA through their local radio stations.
• YMCA of Superior California sent postcards to their community members with information on vaccination pop-up sites in their area.
• Corona-Norco Family YMCA reached their community through multiple pop-up vaccination booths at local events.

With these stylized approaches, the six YMCAs were able to inform over 15,000 people about COVID-19 vaccinations. They were also able to vaccinate over 700 people through vaccination pop-up sites at local events.

In seeing the success throughout this campaign, the Alliance recognized our strength in using our unified voice to make a collective impact throughout the communities we serve.