Community

Church, Health Groups Providing COVID-19 Vaccines in San Francisco

Published

3 years ago

March 25, 2021

Kiki

Third Baptist members waiting to get vaccinated. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jonathan Butler. Left to right: Dr. Malcolm John (Black Health Initiative), Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown (Senior Pastor, Third Baptist) Jane Brown (First Lady, Third Baptist Church), Veronica Shepard (San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, founder), Betty Jones (Third Baptist member) Dr. Jonathan Butler (San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition, executive director)

One size, we know, does not fit all.

So, while, the Moscone Center is vaccinating thousands in the battle against COVID-19, a coalition of health and faith-based organizations is saving lives by the hundreds: and it’s working.

UCSF’s Black Health Initiative and San Francisco African American Faith-Based Coalition will offer Moderna vaccinations on Sunday, March 28, at Third Baptist Church at 1399 McAllister Street from 12 noon to 6:00 p.m. register for an appointment at www.thirdbaptist.org.

Those eligible to be vaccinated include individuals 18 years of age and older, who are:

healthcare workers
food/restaurant workers
grocery store workers
education and childcare workers
long-term care facility workers
emergency services workers

Also, those with certain chronic health conditions, the disabled, those living or working in congregate living spaces, and anyone who is homeless, or at risk of being homeless, can be vaccinated at this event.

Last Saturday, 150 people made appointments to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine at Third Baptist Church. The week before, the vaccination site was Cornerstone Baptist Church. Future sites are the San Francisco Christian Center, New Providence Baptist Church, Double Rock Baptist Church and St. Paul of the Shipwreck just a few of the 21 congregations that are part of the coalition.

So far, each time the vaccine has been available – in a partnership with Walgreens- all of the vials have been used in inoculations. About 75% of the people who have come for the inoculation were Black; the remaining 25% were Latino and Asian.

It is well-documented that Black people are three times as likely to die from COVID-19 than whites. This effort, deliberately small and intimate, is aimed at closing that gap, little by little.

Jonathan Butler, a medical sociologist, spoke for the coalition, which is now also partnering with the San Francisco Dept. of Health and Walgreens. The coalition had been providing services since the onset of the pandemic: 250,000 meals have been served to 1,400 families, 10,000 from Third Baptist Church.

It is because of that previous service and the trust community members seem to have for the Black church, Butler said, that the coalition has been successful.

The vaccinators, physicians and administrators are mostly Black and people of color, Butler said. About 20 physicians or residents from UCSF are on hand throughout the course of the day answering questions and providing advice.

There is also value in intimacy of the small operation and the attention given to individuals, Butler said.

At most vaccination sites, people are required to wait 15 minutes to make sure you don’t have an adverse reaction.

The coalition personnel go even further: vaccine recipients will get a check-in call the next day and another one four days later. During those calls, recipients will also be asked what else they may need. Food? Counseling?

“We try to take care of the whole person,” Butler said.

Kiki

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

4 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

Oakland Post

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.