Boston COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative

Learn about the vaccine equity resources available to Boston.

Table of Contents

Overview

To date, a total of 68 organizations serving Boston have received $12,146,544 through the Vaccine Equity Initiative.     

These 68 organizations are part of the 198 community organizations that have been awarded over $62.8 million through the Vaccine Equity Initiative. Many of these organizations work across multiple communities, and some of them are funded through multiple components of the initiative.   

Between March 3, 2021 and July 30, 2021, Boston was allocated a total of 16,916 equity vaccine doses.

DPH Municipal Point of Contact

A designated DPH municipal point of contact works with each of the 20 municipalities. 

To connect with the Boston point of contact, email VaccineEquityInitiative@mass.gov

Community-specific vaccination data

Community-specific data includes an interactive dashboard of vaccine administration results in each Vaccine Equity Initiative (VEI) community, updated weekly, and data from the DPH COVID Community Impact Survey to help target approaches.

Support for municipalities and local boards of health

Support for municipalities and Local Boards of Health includes direct funding of municipalities and Local Boards of Health for coordination and support for vaccine clinics and promoting vaccine acceptance. 

Boston: $963,429 (Awarded 3/30/21) 

Additional COVID-19 local boards of health funding supports includes direct funding to meet immediate personnel and equipment needs to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Distributed through state funds received through the federal CARES Act, the Public Health Trust Fund, and through direct appropriation beginning in March 2020. 

Additional funding to Boston: $1,106,526 (Awarded beginning March 2020) 

Investment in community health centers

Investment in community health centers expands vaccination infrastructure and builds capacity at community health centers, including support for community health workers. Community Health Worker Ambassador Program funding includes $25,000* per Community Health Center through June 2021, with an additional $25,000 for FY22. 

*funded through a public-private partnership

Funded Community Health Centers

Community Health Center Municipalities Funding
Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Boston $105,000
Upham’s Corner Health Center Boston $130,000
Codman Square Health Center Boston $195,000
Dothouse Health Boston $104,653
Bowdoin Street Community Health Center Boston $35,000
South Boston Community Health Center Boston $201,147
Fenway Community Health Center Boston $102,460
South Cove Community Health Center Boston $75,000
Connecticut River Valley Farmworker Health Program Boston $48,000
MGH Community Health Associates Boston $75,000
NEW Health Center Boston $205,000
Brookside Community Health Center Boston (Jamaica Plain) $100,000
Sothern Jamaica Plain Health Center Boston (Jamaica Plain) $125,000
Whittier Street Health Center Boston (Roxbury) $125,000
Harvard Street Neighborhood Health Center Boston (Dorchester) $140,000
Greater Roslindale Medical and Dental Center Boston (Roslindale) $170,857
Harbor Health Services Incorporated Boston (Mattapan) $180,000
Mattapan Community Health Center Boston (Mattapan) $54,255
East Boston Neighborhood Health Center East Boston $125,000

Massachusetts Community Health Workers for Resilient Communities Program (MA-CRC)

Announced in January 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) is partnering with 10 organizations to implement a new program, the Massachusetts Community Health Workers for Resilient Communities (MA CRC) Program. Program activities will focus on the training and deployment of community health workers to respond to the immediate needs of communities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and to build community resilience to protect against inequities in future emergencies. Community Health Workers in Community-Based Clinical Care will promote COVID-19 vaccination, education and prevention. MA-CRC will support the establishment of the Community Health Workers COVID Action Collaborative which includes State Office of Community Health Workers, the State Office of Local and Regional Health, the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, and the Massachusetts Association of Community Health Workers.

Partner Organization Funding Amount Municipality Served
Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program* $400,000 Boston
Whittier Street Health Center $250,000 Boston

*Indicates partners who will place community health workers in the local board of health, in addition to the primary care setting.

Tailored community- and faith-based outreach and education

Tailored community- and faith-based outreach and education includes supports to raise awareness of strategies to minimize the spread of COVID-19 and increase vaccination confidence and access for priority populations. Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and Health Care for All (HCFA) work with community organizations that received funding under this component of the Vaccine Equity Initiative through June 2023.  The table below lists current and total awards made to funded organizations. Total funding may include funds received through both HRiA and HCFA, depending on the organization. View a more detailed list of all funding awards made since December 2020: Vaccine Equity Initiative - Funded CBOs and FBOs - Updated March 2023

 

Organization Municipalities Community Grants and TA Provider Current Funding
Jan.– June 2023
Total Funding
Dec. 2020 – June 2023
Chica Project* Boston, Framingham, Lawrence HCFA $60,000 $252,119
People Affecting Community Change (PACC Global) Avon, Boston, Bridgewater, Brockton, Easton, Plymouth, Rockland, Stoughton, Taunton HRiA   $144,500
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers Boston, Cambridge, Boston, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, Revere HRiA   $86,542
Somali Parents Advocacy Center for Education (SPACE) Boston – Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Everett, Lowell, Lynn, Malden HRiA $48,024 $266,274 
True Alliance Center Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, Worcester   HCFA $60,000 $137,000
The Boston Project Ministries Boston, East Boston, Roxbury HRiA   $162,585
Nigerian American Multi-Service Association (NAMSA) Boston, Brockton, Framingham, Lynn, Peabody, Randolph, Salem, Stoughton, Statewide HRiA   $218,250
Who’s Got Morale Program Boston HRiA $60,000 $277,550
ACEDONE Boston, Cambridge HCFA $60,000 $112,000
MissionSafe A New Beginning Roxbury HRiA   $78,750
Authentic Caribbean Foundation Boston, Brockton HCFA $60,000 $137,000
Women Encouraging Empowerment Inc. Chelsea, East Boston, Everett, Lynn, Revere HRiA   $100,015
Asian Women for Health* Boston, Framingham, Lawrence, Chelsea HCFA $60,000 $294,700
South Asian Workers’ Center Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Malden, Newton, Revere HRiA $60,000 $147,719
Brazilian American Center  Framingham, Ashland, Natick, Marlborough, Hudson, Clinton, Leominster, Fitchburg, Milford, Worcester, Boston, Everett, Lowell   HCFA $60,000 $112,000
International Institute of New England, Inc. Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Revere HRiA   $141,667
Multicultural AIDS Coalition Boston – Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roxbury HRiA   $66,667
Extreme Kid Inc. Boston – Dorchester, Chicopee, East Longmeadow, Framingham, Hadley, Holyoke, Indian Orchard, Northampton, Randolph, South Hadley, Springfield, Worcester, Statewide HRiA $60,000 $185,000
The Joint Committee for Children’s Health Care, Everett Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Melrose, Revere, Somerville, Stoneham, Worcester, Statewide HRiA $60,000 $291,630
YMCA of Greater Boston Boston, Needham, Reading, Woburn HRiA   $100,000
Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition Boston, Mattapan HRiA   $236,167
Latinos Unidos en Massachusetts Boston – East Boston; Everett, Malden, Revere HRiA   $195,667
Asian American Civic Association Boston, Dorchester, Malden, Quincy HRiA $60,000 $291,329
Next Leadership Development Boston – Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roxbury HRiA   $144,500
Black Ministerial Alliance of Greater Boston Boston – Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roxbury, Cambridge HRiA   $82,829
Building Audacity Boston, Everett, Cambridge, Charlestown, Lowell, Lynn, Revere HRiA   $222,729
Haitian Health Institute Boston, Brockton, Malden, Randolph HRiA   $143,953
Disability Policy Consortium & Boston Center for Independent Living Boston – Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Park, Roxbury, Ashland, Bellingham, Beverly, Chelsea, Danvers, Dover, Essex, Everett, Foxboro, Framingham, Franklin, Gloucester, Hamilton, Holliston, Hopkinton, Hudson, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Malden, Manchester by the Sea, Marblehead, Marlboro, Maynard, Medfield, Medway, Melrose, Middleton, Millis, Nahant, Natick, Norfolk, North Reading, Peabody, Plainville, Randolph, Rockport, Rowley, Salem, Saugus, Sherborn, Southborough, Stoneham, Stow, Sudbury, Swampscott, Topsfield, Wakefield, Wayland, Wellesley, Wenham, Weston, North Shore & Western Massachusetts HRiA   $112,700
Love Your Menses Boston, Holyoke, Springfield, Worcester HRiA $60,000 $166,237
JAHAN Women and Youth International Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham,  Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Revere, Somerville, Springfield, Worcester HRiA $60,000 $291,329
The Black Literacy and Arts Collaborative Project, Inc. Boston – Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roxbury, South End HRiA $60,000 $204,500
Justice for Housing Boston – Chinatown, Dorchester, East Boston, Hyde Park, Mattapan, Mission Hill, Roxbury, Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Randolph, Revere HRiA   $61,829
Sociedad Latina Boston – Dorchester, East Boston, Mission Hill, Roxbury HRiA    
Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) Boston, Andover, Fall River, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, North Andover, Peabody HRiA $60,000 $222,000
The Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. Boston, Dedham, Framingham, Marlborough, Milford, Norwood, Walpole, Waltham, Worcester HRiA   $236,167
Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety & Health (MassCOSH) Boston – East Boston and Dorchester HRiA   $113,367

 

* Organizations that were previously funded by Health Resources in Action (HRiA) through December 2022. 

Focused grassroots outreach

Focused grassroots outreach in Boston, led by both ASG & HCFA, includes teams of trained community residents to help increase vaccine trust and facilitate appointment registration through one-to-one conversations and providing referrals to services.

Activity Type Completed Week Ending September 26th Cumulative Since Activities Began
Number of Doors Knocked 5,933 192,230
Number of Phone Calls Made 969 6,400
Number of One-On-One Conversations 226 54,833
% of conversations with unvaccinated 16.7% 37.7%
Number of Visibility & Outreach Events 20 546
Number of Materials Disseminated 682 21,570
  • The HCFA team from Boston consists of 8 staff or contracted individuals and approximately 8 people from the partner Community Based Organizations (CBOs) listed below. HCFA-funded CBOs are conducting visibility events and supporting vaccine clinics.
  • African Community Economic Development of New England: $12,000
  • Authentic Caribbean Foundation: $10,000
  • True Alliance Center: $10,000
  • Vietnamese American Initiative for Development: $12,000

Total CBO Funding: $44,000

In addition, Boston is served by the following CBOs working across several communities:

  • Boston Center for Independent Living: $12,000
  • Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired: $12,000
  • The Learning Center for the Deaf: $12,000

The ASG team from Boston consists of 23 staff or contracted individuals. They are conducting all grassroots outreach activities for the community, including door-to-door canvasing, business walks, visibility events, town hall support, phone banking and texting.

Mobile vaccination services

Mobile COVID-19 vaccination services address a particular community need that cannot be met by existing vaccination opportunities and are deployed to meet the needs of prioritized populations.

As of April 15, the DPH Mobile Vaccination Program provides community-based vaccination clinics in the Boston neighborhoods of Allston, Brighton, Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury.

From April 5 through May 26, Boston received additional vaccine doses from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), delivered by CIC Health and Cataldo Ambulance through mobile vaccination clinics in community settings. Since May 26, the state has continued to support the mobile vaccination clinics.

Vaccine access and administration in community settings

This funding is intended to increase community-based access to and receipt of COVID-19 vaccination for priority communities and populations who are experiencing disproportionate impacts of COVID-19.

Vaccine Access and Navigation Services funds organizations for services such as assistance with appointment registration, transportation to vaccination clinics, mobility assistance, medical interpretation, and other supports.

Customized Vaccine Administration funds qualified community organizations to directly administer vaccination to groups not effectively reached by other mechanisms. These organizations can be deployed to smaller venues, with populations that may require more intensive one-on-one support to get vaccinated.

The following organizations are receiving funding for 12 months to begin offering services by mid-May 2021.

Organization Funding Vaccine Access and Navigation Services Customized Vaccine Administration Communities of Focus (People from other communities may also be served)

Organization

Funding

Vaccine Access and Navigation Services

Customized Vaccine Administration

Communities of Focus (People from other communities may also be served)

Boston Medical Center

$784,250

 

X

Boston

Mulitcultural AIDS Coalition

$346,971

X

X

Boston

Whittier Street Health Center

$225,000

X

X

Boston

Dimock Community Health Center

$150,000

 

X

Boston

Codman Square Health Center

$200,000

X

X

Boston

Health Innovations, Inc. (Partners with Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers)

$250,000

 

X

Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Lowell, Lynn, Randolph, Revere

Justice Resource Institute, Inc.

$370,000

 

X

Boston, Framingham

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (Partners with Health Innovations)

$350,000

X

 

Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Revere

Boston Healthcare for the Homeless $450,000 X X Boston
The Latino Health Insurance Program, Inc. $837,253 X X Boston, Metro & Central Massachusetts

Communications materials

 

Communications materials are available to support communities with vaccine information; translated materials available in 10 languages. 

Visit www.mass.gov/TrustTheFacts

The COVID-19 Community Impact Survey

The COVID-19 Community Impact Survey is a survey of more than 35,000 people regarding the social and economic consequences of COVID-19 on MA communities. View the findings

COVID-19 vaccination and testing sites

COVID-19 Vaccination: Search vaccines.gov for vaccination appointments or find a mobile vaccination clinic.

COVID-19 Testing: Tests are available at pharmacies, retailers, and various health care locations. Visit covid.gov/tests for free at-home tests. Use the CDC search tool to find a PCR testing site. Learn more about the different types of COVID-19 testing.

Help Us Improve Mass.gov with your feedback

Feedback