Beginning today, Monday, July 25, 2021, several local groups will kick off a grassroots effort to provide residents of Westlawn Gardens and the surrounding neighborhoods an opportunity to get the COVID-19 vaccine. From Monday-Friday (Noon-5 p.m.) teams of residents trained as Community Mobilizers will go door-to-door, providing vaccine education and outreach, which is especially crucial considering the increase of new COVID-19 cases in Wisconsin over the past few weeks. The mobilizers will be accompanied by vaccinators from the Milwaukee Health Department and Milwaukee Fire Department, who can immediately provide the Johnson & Johnson or Pfizer COVID-19 vaccinations for residents ages 12 & up.
“The health and safety of our residents is our top priority, and easily accessible COVID-19 vaccinations are key to achieving that goal at this time,” said Willie L. Hines, Jr., Acting Secretary-Executive Director of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee (HACM). “This partnership will bring the opportunity to be vaccinated to the doorsteps of hundreds of households and help protect our communities by stemming the tide of the pandemic.”
Vaccine week is a collaboration between HACM, the Westlawn Resident Council, Jump at the Sun Consultants, LLC (JATSC), the Milwaukee Health Department, Milwaukee Fire Department and Silver Spring Neighborhood Center. The groups have worked together since the beginning of the pandemic to support community-based efforts to reduce the impact of COVID-19 and address other health disparities. In addition to the door-to-door effort, a special pop-up vaccination clinic will be hosted from Noon – 5 p.m. at Silver Spring Neighborhood Center as well.
“Our goal is to meet residents where they are, help them get accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccines, and help them realize that this pandemic is not over and that those who are unvaccinated are the most at-risk,” said Lorraine Lathen, President and Founder of Jump at the Sun Consultants, LLC.
Jackie Burrell, President of the Westlawn Resident Council, believes the effort is critical to keeping the entire neighborhood healthy and safe.
“I have had family members severely impacted by COVID-19. I can tell you that seeing a loved one suffer from this disease was worse than the idea of losing them. Personally I put my trust in God that getting vaccinated was the right thing to do. We don’t need to see any more people get sick or die, so it’s very important for our neighbors to be vaccinated to protect themselves and our community.”
A training was held last week at Victory Manor to prepare adult residents and a youth squad to serve as Community Mobilizers during Vaccine Week. Both groups are being paid an hourly wage for their work and will join an existing team of 80 Community Mobilizers. In addition, nursing students from Alverno College will be on hand to offer health resources and activities for children.
In support of these and other efforts, HACM has issued a COVID-19 vaccination challenge with incentives for each of its housing developments across the city. HACM is also planning pop-up vaccination events in other housing developments and has already scheduled events for residents in the Hillside and Parklawn neighborhoods. Residents and others can look up their vaccination record online on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry website at dhfswir.org.
The effort also supports the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to an equitable response to COVID-19 and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) – U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ joint efforts to increase access to vaccinations and address hesitancy among vulnerable communities that have been most impacted by COVID-19.
“We must center our COVID-19 vaccination efforts around the guiding principle of equity,” said HUD Midwest Deputy Regional Administrator James A. Cunningham. “HUD assisted households are among the most impacted and we are incredibly proud of the Housing Authority of the City of Milwaukee and its partners’ laser-focus and proactive efforts to increase access and awareness among the most vulnerable communities.”
Interview Opportunities: HACM residents, Community Mobilizers, HACM staff, JATSC President
What: COVID-19 Vaccine Week
When: July 26 -29th (Noon-5 p.m., Best day Tuesday)
Where: Westlawn Gardens Housing Development (W. Silver Spring Drive/ N. 60-68th St.)
What: COVID-19 Pop-up Vaccination Clinic
When: Monday July 26th (Noon-5 p.m.)
Where: Silver Spring Neighborhood Center, 5460 N. 64th St.