Step Up Receives Jewish Appeal Grant For Covid-19 Vaccine Education And Accessibility Project

Big news! We are proud and honored to announce that the United Jewish Appeal (UJA) has awarded Step Up for Better Living a $5,000 grant to conduct our newest initiative… the Covid-19 Education and Vaccine Accessibility Project!

The South Bronx faces an uphill battle when it comes to vaccination. A lack of public awareness, as well as availability challenges, stands between our community and a return to normalcy. So we’ve developed this project to help address those issues. The Step Up Covid-19 Education and Vaccine Accessibility Project (CEVAP) will seek to educate Bronx residents about the Covid-19 vaccine, and help schedule appointments to get the shot. We aim to educate 1,200 of our friends and neighbors, and recruit 250 people to schedule appointments.

With this exciting funding from UJA, we will distribute accurate information targeted to South Bronx residents. This literature will include information about the vaccine, locations where residents can be vaccinated, and registration information. Residents will also receive convenient tote bags filled with personal protective equipment like masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer.

Our social services staff will organize the project by coordinating with partner agencies and conducting outreach. Further, we will recruit a health expert to provide our staff with the facts, and train our staff to communicate vaccine information to clients. Additionally, we will make facts and answers to frequently-asked-questions available through our websites and social media channels. We will also work with local landlords to disseminate informational flyers with rent receipts to Bronx tenants.

Finally, we will contact Bronx residents by telephone to provide them with information and assistance in scheduling their appointments to be vaccinated at convenient Bronx locations.

We are thankful to the United Jewish Appeal for this important grant. The Step Up team is thrilled by this opportunity to continue serving the changing needs of the Bronx community. Vaccination is an important part of helping our community recover from the city’s severe Covid-19 crisis. 

For full, updated details on vaccine eligibility, please check in with the city website and state website.

There are many vaccination sites throughout the Bronx, including the Yankee Stadium megasite. We encourage all Bronx residents who are eligible to make an appointment today. More than 3 million New Yorkers have received the Covid-19 vaccine, and it is safe, free and easy.