NEWS RELEASE: San Diego Unified Partners with Local Community Groups for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach

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*Link with B-roll and photos of canvassing is available below

NEWS RELEASE

San Diego Unified Partners with Local Community Groups for COVID-19 Vaccine Outreach

San Diego Latino Health Coalition, Alliance San Diego go Door-to-Door to Share Information on Student Vaccines


December 27, 2021

SAN DIEGO – To share resources and information regarding COVID-19 vaccines with families across the city, San Diego Unified School District has partnered with the San Diego Latino Health Coalition and Alliance San Diego for door-to-door outreach.

During winter break and continuing on through January, members from these community groups are knocking on doors in target neighborhoods where vaccination rates are low.

"San Diego Unified's goal is to have as many students as possible vaccinated against COVID-19," Board President Dr. Sharon Whitehurst-Payne said. "Vaccines have proven to be the most effective tool in protecting students, staff and communities from contracting and spreading this virus."

The district has been reaching out to families through various methods with information regarding vaccines and opportunities for families to get vaccinated at school locations. These partnerships for direct community outreach are just another strategy to reach families who may have missed the message.

"We do not want lack of access or lack of information to be a barrier to students getting vaccinated," Whitehurst-Payne said. "We are very thankful for our partnerships with the San Diego Latino Health Coalition and Alliance San Diego to help fill any gaps in family and community outreach regarding COVID-19."

The San Diego Latino Health Coalition is made up of established organizations with close ties to the Latino community, whose goal is to reduce the rate of COVID-19 infection, increase access to essential information, and increase participation in COVID-19 testing, contact tracking and vaccines.

"Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the goal of the San Diego Latino Health Coalition has been to slow the spread of COVID-19 and ensure that communities have all the resources and information to remain safe and healthy," said Lupe Flores, director of engagement and impact for the Chicano Federation. "We are ready to begin working with the San Diego Unified School District to ensure that students and their families are protected against COVID-19. Through our various nonprofit partners and our exceptional promotoras, we will work together to increase vaccinations in the communities that need them the most."

Alliance San Diego is a community organization whose mission is to build collective power to create an inclusive democracy by developing leaders, engaging communities, advocating for policies, protecting civil and human rights, and communicating strategically.

"Alliance San Diego joined this effort to help educate and inform members of our community on the protections offered by the COVID-19 vaccines," said Christopher Rice-Wilson, associate director of Alliance San Diego. "We are talking with some of the most vulnerable and at-risk residents in the San Diego region to help them understand how and where to get the vaccination if they want it. We strongly believe all residents should have access to the information necessary to make an informed decision on vaccinations for their family, including the Black, Latinx, and other underserved families with children who attend San Diego Unified schools. This focused outreach is intended to keep all of our families, teachers and school staff as safe as possible."

San Diego Unified has partnerships with UC San Diego Health and Sharp Health to offer vaccine clinics at schools through the month of January. The district also offers school-based health centers in seven parts of the city to provide vaccination opportunities to students and families. Families are encouraged to visit the district's COVID-19 Vaccine webpage<https://sites.google.com/sandi.net/nursingwellness/covid-19-vaccine> for more details on these convenient opportunities to get vaccinated.

B-roll and photos of the Chicano Federation team canvassing door-to-door are available here<https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1JUCMdG7qI6gAyiOrQmoN2mG-q2Helnp1?usp=sharing>


Zoom interviews available with the San Diego Latino Health Coalition and Alliance San Diego, please coordinate with the media contacts listed below.


MEDIA CONTACTS:

San Diego Latino Health Coalition, Susy Villegas, svprcommunications@gmail.com<mailto:svprcommunications@gmail.com>, 619-947-5742

Alliance San Diego, Communications Director Kendall Martin, kendall@alliancesd.org<mailto:kendall@alliancesd.org>, 619-629-0337

San Diego Unified School District, Communications Director Maureen Magee, mmagee@sandi.net<mailto:mmagee@sandi.net>, 619-381-7930

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