CDC Foundation Awards Second COVID Confidence Grant to Area Foundation

December 8, 2021

The Gregory B. Davis Foundation (GBDF) in partnership with the Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition (RVBCC) was recently awarded a second grant from the CDC Foundation (CDCF) to provide our community with information to build vaccine confidence. This project, COVID-19 FACTS NOT FEAR, funded through March 31, 2022, will allow residents in Halifax, Northampton, and Warren Counties to receive continued local support to help in making informed decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine. 

One exciting new partnership of this grant is the Community Voices Program developed by North Carolina A&T State University aimed at developing leaders in Halifax, Northampton and surrounding counties. The Community Voices Program is designed to train and develop community leaders to work with community members who have traditionally been left out of public decisions on issues that directly affect them, including COVID-19. Thirteen participants referred to as Fellows are currently enrolled in the 10-week training cohort. A public graduation is being planned to formally introduce the Fellows to the Halifax and Northampton County communities as well as local, regional, state, and national funders.

COVID-19 FACTS NOT FEAR, will also develop a multimedia communication campaign to provide current and accurate information about the COVID-19 vaccine and the distribution process for our residents. The project will focus on engaging with the community to create culturally appropriate messaging through various media markets including news releases, flyers, promotional materials, radio and social media outlets. The project will also rely on trusted professionals from the community such as Lay Health Advisors in addressing myths and helping people make sound informed decisions.

Activities will also include media presentations with local health professionals who will take questions and announce schedules and access points for getting the vaccine. The first of three radio talk shows taking place this Fall with CJ Riddick on 99.5 JAMZ (WYTT) focusing on the current benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine. A virtual Town Hall Meeting will be planned for early 2022. Also, two new billboards will be designed and placed in Northampton and Warren counties. 

The Planning and Implementation Team for the project includes Belinda Jones-Hill, Project Coordinator; Patricia Peele, Outreach and Education Specialist with Rural Health Group (RHG); Project Evaluator, Niasha Fray, and a Social Media Specialist, Vanessa Anderson. GBDF’s representatives include Edna Davis-Brown and Brenda D. Bracey, overall programmatic and financial/administrative support. Lay Health Advisors representing the RHG, and Vidant North Community Outreach will include representatives from the 3-county area. The team also includes Kayla Taylor and Vanessa Fields, serving as coordinators/facilitators of the Community Voices Program.

We are very excited about the second CDCF grant allowing us to continue to provide accurate up-to-date COVID-19 vaccine related information and resources to our community, according to Edna Davis-Brown with GBDF.

   

For more information, please call 240 602 4156 or email gbdf@gbdf.org . Also, visit www.gbdf.org and the CDC Foundation at www.cdcfoundation.org

CDC Foundation Awards COVID Confidence Grant to Area Foundation

By Randy Munro • July 12, 2021
Residents in Halifax, Northampton, and Warren Counties will soon receive local support for preparing to make decisions about the COVID-19 vaccine. The Gregory B. Davis Foundation (GBDF) in partnership with the Roanoke Valley Breast Cancer Coalition (RVBCC) was recently awarded a grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Foundation (CDCF) to assist our community with information to build vaccine confidence. The local community partnership will develop a multi-media communication campaign to explain the COVID-19 vaccine and the distribution process for our residents including neighbors, friends, and family in the surrounding area. The project will focus on using culturally appropriate messaging through various media markets including news releases, flyers, promotional materials, radio and social media outlets. The project will also rely on trusted professionals from the community such as Lay Health Advisors in addressing myths and helping people make sound informed decisions. Communication will encourage people to learn all they can about the COVID-19 vaccine to feel more confident in their decision about taking the vaccination. Vaccine Kits will be given to people to offer them assistance in getting the vaccine. Vaccine Kits will consist of bags with contents which will be useful for getting information and to take to sites when getting vaccines to include items such as local schedules for vaccine dissemination; COVID-19 fact sheets; face masks; snacks; stickers to wear after receiving vaccine, etc. Lay Health Advisors and partners will have bags to distribute in locations where access to media is limited and high traffic locations to also include trailer parks, housing complexes, food distribution locations, and key community pop-up events. Plans also include having media presentations with local health professionals who will take questions and announce schedules and access points for getting the vaccine. The Planning and Implementation Team for the project includes Belinda Jones-Hill, Project Coordinator; Patricia Peele, Outreach and Education Specialist with Rural Health Group; Project Evaluator, Niasha Fray, and a Social Media Specialist, Terrence Brown. GBDF’s representatives include Edna Davis-Brown and Brenda D. Bracey, overall programmatic and financial/administrative support. Lay Health Advisors representing RHG and Vidant North Community Outreach include Sheila Ward, Brenda Alston and Carolyn Purnell from Roanoke Rapids; Pauline Deloatch from Northampton County; Norma Hedgepeth from southern Halifax County; Deborah Morrison, Hertford County; Tonya Hicks, Weldon; Renee Clark, Nash & Halifax Counties; Elvelon Mason and Margaret Clayton, Warren County. For more information, please email gbdf@gbdf.org . Also, visit www.gbdf.org and the CDC Foundation at www.cdcfoundation.org .
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