Durham, NC—A collaboration of community-based organizations have come together to combine their efforts in creating access to vaccinations. Under the coordination of the new “one-stop access to resources” group ActivateDurham (www.activatedurham.com), their first vaccination effort will be Wednesday, April 7th at Mount VernonBaptist Church. Pastor Jerome Washington, Leader of the Durham Clergy United, volunteered to host, citing the importance of bringing such invaluable resources to communities of color.
The vaccine doses, initially allotted for minority groups within the Triangle but now available to all groups, are being provided by IndyCare Health of Hilsborough and Hillsborough Pharmacy, owned and managed by Dr. Tiffany Barber. Dr. Franklin Roye has made a mark in the local community by utilizing IndyCare as a vaccine hub, allowing for large quantities to serve Durham and surrounding areas.”
Gregory Hedgepeth of Substantial Magazine began to document the process of normalizing the vaccine in communities of color by bringing prominent community leaders together to talk about their experience of getting vaccinated.
Activate Durham is the community service extension of Zweli’s Kitchen, a local restaurant known for its community engagement. Zweli’s first announced Activate Durham during the role they played during the McDougald Terrace crisis, collaborating with community organizations and community members to serve 49,672
meals from January 2020 to May 2020. Later, they partnered with the Summit Church to distribute fresh produce; upwards of 500 cases.
The April 7th vaccinations are by appointment only and are on a first-come-first-serve basis. Community members will receive special links with a passcode to pre-register. These allotments are state-sponsored and while they are no cost, proof of insurance is needed. If an individual does not have insurance, we will be able to cover them via the
Coronavirus COVID-19 Fund. This is the first of many community service events. Currently, Durham County has administered over 153 thousand doses of vaccine. 91 thousand people have been partially vaccinated, and 62 thousand fully vaccinated. In Durham County, groups 1-5 are now eligible for vaccination.
Our ultimate hope is to contribute to rebooting the local economy by getting as many people vaccinated as possible within the next 2 months. Other partnering organizations will include the Back On The Bull Campaign and the Triangle National Panhellenic Council of Fraternities and Sororities.
This Press Release was distributed by Activate Durham, IndyCare, and Substantial Magazine
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