Beacon Health receives $4.8 million in grants for COVID-19 vaccine outreach

Beacon Health System has received $4.8 million in grants to provide education and other services to encourage vaccinations among Hispanic, Black, and Amish residents in St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, and LaPorte counties.

The grant money, provided by the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, will be used to operate mobile vaccine clinics, hire additional non-clinical, bilingual community health workers, and create outreach efforts to educate residents about the vaccine.

The outreach is a collaboration with the Saint Joseph Health System and other community partners, such as public health departments and universities.

“While COVID-19 numbers are trending in a direction that we are all excited to see, we want to be certain that everyone has the opportunity to make educated and informed decisions about vaccination,” said Kimberly Green Reeves, Director of Community Outreach, Beacon Health System. “We all must continue to do our part to remain healthy in our communities. It is important that we remain vigilant, especially now.”

Residents interested in learning more about COVID-19 vaccines or where to find a vaccine clinic can visit CovidSmart.org for educational materials, video stories from local residents, and a calendar of clinics.