Lowell COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Initiative

Learn about the vaccine equity resources available to Lowell.

Table of Contents

Overview

To date, a total of 25 organizations serving Lowell have received $5,250,256 through the Vaccine Equity Initiative.     

These 25 organizations are part of the 192 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, Lowell was allocated a total of 10,322 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 Lowell 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.

Lowell: $245,185 (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 Lowell: $359,241 (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
Lowell Community Health Center Lowell $176,825

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
Lowell Community Health Center $250,000 Lowell

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

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, Revere HRiA   $86,542
Leaving the Streets Ministries, Inc. Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Merrimack Valley HRiA   $144,500
True Alliance Center Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, Worcester   HCFA $60,000 $137,000
The Center for Hope and Healing Acton, Billerica, Boxborough, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Dracut, Dunstable, Groton, Littleton, Lowell, Pepperell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford, Wilmington HRiA $50,329 $178,032
Cambodian Mutual Assistance of Greater Lowell Billerica, Chelmsford, Lowell, Methuen, Tewksbury HRiA   $239,350
Asian Women for Health* Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Springfield, Worcester  HCFA $60,000 $294,700
New American Association of Massachusetts Lynn, Lowell, Malden, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus HRiA $46,266 $241,356
Centro de Apoyo Familiar (CAF) Boston, Andover, Fall River, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Methuen, North Andover, Peabody HRiA $60,000 $222,000
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
African Cultural Services, Inc. Belmont, Burlington, Framingham, Lowell, Newton, Waltham, Watertown, Woburn, Worcester HRiA   $144,956
Greater Lowell Health Alliance Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro, Westford HRiA $60,000 $219,630
Dwelling House of Hope, Inc. Billerica, Chelmsford, Dracut, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro HRiA $60,000 $204,500
JAHAN Women and Youth International Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Medford, Revere, Somerville, Springfield, Worcester HRiA $60,000 $291,329
Brazilian American Center Framingham, Ashland, Natick, Marlborough, Hudson, Clinton, Leominster, Fitchburg, Milford, Worcester, Boston, Everett, Lowell   HCFA $60,000 $112,000
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
African Community Center of Lowell Lowell HRiA   $49,040
Coalition for a Better Acre Dracut, Lowell HRiA $60,000 $187,850
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
Somali Parents Advocacy Center for Education (SPACE) Boston – Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Everett, Lowell, Lynn, Malden HRiA $48,024 $266,274
Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers Boston, Cambridge, Everett, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, Revere HRiA   $85,542
Building Audacity Boston, Everett, Cambridge, Charlestown, Lowell, Lynn, Revere HRiA   $222,729
Asociación Ministerial Evangelica Del Area de Lawrence Andover, Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, North Andover, Methuen, Merrimac HRiA   $222,000

 

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

Focused grassroots outreach

Focused grassroots outreach in Lowell, led by ASG, 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 380 7,491
Number of Phone Calls Made 74 5,462
Number of One-On-One Conversations 100 1,842
% of conversations with unvaccinated 23.0% 37.1%
Number of Visibility & Outreach Events 3 128
Number of Materials Disseminated 0 300

The ASG team from Lowell consists of 8 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. 

Lowell is providing community-based clinics to reach priority populations through DPH-contracted vendors. 

Communications materials

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

Visit www.mass.gov/TrustTheFacts.

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)

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

$250,000

 

X

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

Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (Partners with Health Innovations)

$350,000 

X

 

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

Elder Services of the Merrimack Valley

$325,423 

X

X

Haverhill, Lawrence, Lowell, Methuen

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.

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