Lawrence COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative

Overview

To date, a total of 19 organizations serving Lawrence have received $3,402,289 through the Vaccine Equity Initiative.     

These 19 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, Lawrence was allocated a total of 13,590 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 Lawrence point of contact, email [e-mail].

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.

Lawrence: $209,550 (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 for Lawrence: $345,655 (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 (Awarded February 2021)

Funded Community Health Centers

Community Health Center	Municipalities	Funding
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center	Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen	$195,100

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	Communities Served	Community Grants and TA Provider	Current Funding Jan. 2023– June 2023	Total Funding Dec. 2020 – June 2023
Chica Project*	Boston, Framingham, Lawrence, Lynn	HCFA	$60,000	$252,119
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers	Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, Revere	HRiA		$86,542
Greater Lawrence Community Action Council	Lawrence, Methuen	HRiA		$100,825
International Institute of New England, Inc.	Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Revere	HRiA		$141,667
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
Leaving the Streets Ministries, Inc.	Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Merrimack Valley	HRiA		$144,500
The Psychological Center	Lawrence, Methuen	HRiA		$50,000
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
Asociación Ministerial Evangelica Del Area de Lawrence	Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, North Andover, Methuen, Merrimac	HRiA		$222,000
Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF)	Boston, Andover, Fall River, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, North Andover, Peabody	HRiA	$60,000	$222,000
Lawrence Community Works	Lawrence	HRiA		$61,829
The Everett Haitian Community Center	Chelsea, Everett, Fitchburg, Framingham, Haverhill, Holyoke, Lawrence, Leominster, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, Revere, Worcester, Statewide	HRiA	$60,000	$303,250
Dwelling House of Hope, Inc.	Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro	HRiA	$60,000	$204,500

 

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

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.

Lawrence General Hospital’s Mobile Health Unit (MHU) is targeting areas of greatest need and lowest adoption of the vaccine in Lawrence.

Focused grassroots outreach

Focused grassroots outreach in Lawrence is led by ASG and includes a local team of trained community residents to help increase trust in the vaccine, awareness of how, when and where to get a vaccine, and improve vaccine access by gathering information from community members 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	174	28,684
Number of Phone Calls Made	24	21,981
Number of One-On-One Conversations	41	9,902
% of conversations with unvaccinated	17.1%	41.4%
Number of Visibility & Outreach Events	8	139
Number of Materials Disseminated	390	12,644

The ASG team from Lawrence is regionally based with 23 staff or contracted individuals shared with Haverhill and Methuen. 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.

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.

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)
Greater Lawrence Family Health Center	$557,575	X	X	Haverhill, Lawrence, Methuen
Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley	$325,423	X	X	Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen