More than $500K in grants to fund vaccination clinics in Irvington, East Orange, Orange, Newark

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — United Way of Greater Newark, along with Greater Newark Health Care Coalition, has awarded more than $500,000 to Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Project Ready, Bessie Mae Women’s Health Center and North Jersey Aids Alliance to fund COVID-19 vaccine efforts in Irvington, East Orange, Orange and Newark. The funding will help launch neighborhood-based mobile vaccination clinics as well as grassroots community outreach and public information campaigns. 

The initiative is funded by the New Jersey Department of Human Services to help ensure equitable vaccine distribution in these areas. Despite New Jersey ranking among the most vaccinated states in the nation, there are still communities that are lagging behind, which is alarming given the rise in COVID-19 cases caused by the delta variant, according to a press release from United Way of Greater Newark.

“Through our ongoing work to increase access and equity in vaccine distribution in under-resourced communities, we know that the most effective strategies are collaborative and community led. This is why we’ve partnered with the Greater Newark Health Care Coalition to award grants and provide support to these local organizations and institutions that have experience working in these communities,” said Catherine Wilson, president and CEO of United Way of Greater Newark. “With the rapid spread of the highly contagious delta variant, neighborhoods with low vaccination rates are at significant risk. We’re grateful to the Department of Human Services and Greater Newark Health Care Coalition for their partnership in this urgent work.”

“When a community works together to fight back, fewer people end up in the hospital, and vaccines are part of that strategy. Partnering with United Way of Greater Newark will help strengthen our ability to beat COVID-19 by funding vaccine sites in areas accessible to those with mobility issues, as well as ensuring the information they encounter about the vaccine are accurate, thorough and easy to understand,” said Keri Logosso-Misurell, executive director of Greater Newark Health Care Coalition. “Catherine has been an essential leader in vaccine equity initiatives in the greater Newark area, and we are excited to continue our work in these areas.”

To learn more about United Way of Greater Newark, visit https://uwnewark.org/.

  COVID-19, United Way