GCC Provides Pop-up Sites to Access Vaccine

Greater Cleveland Congregation’s (GCC) work in organizing pop-up COVID vaccination sites at houses of worship continue to gain attention.

Keisha Krumm, executive director of GCC, said the vaccine clinics – through GCC’s Color of Health initiative – are trying to address a serious problem: Vaccinations for Black residents in Cuyahoga County have consistently lagged behind vaccinations for white residents. In the county:

  • About 45% of all white residents have received a first dose of the vaccine as of April 19 (about 356,000 people).
  • About 21% of all Black residents (about 80,500 people) have gotten their first dose, despite almost a third of Cuyahoga County being Black (about 376,000 people).

One caveat is that these population statistics do include those still ineligible for the vaccine, like young children.

The Ohio Department of Health’s (ODH) mass vaccination site at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center is a prime example of that discrepancy. According to data provided by the ODH, as of April 5, less than 9.5% of all first shots administered at the Wolstein Center went to Black people (about 11,000 people), compared to 75% of all shots going to white people (about 91,000 people). Similar disparities are playing out nationally, as well.

Here’s an in-depth article on the significance of the sites: https://www.thelandcle.org/stories/black-cleveland-churches-serve-as-sanctuary-from-covid-vaccination-disparity

GCC Delegate Assembly on Thursday, May 27th, at 7:00pm

Our May Delegate Assembly will focus on GCC’s vaccination efforts, our emerging Battle for Democracy work, the kick-off of our 2021 Friends of GCC Campaign and more.

Register here for the meeting:

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZUlceurqTMtHNx7iwXngTNhATwIJNHS_fqE 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Rev. Ronald Maxwell, pastor of Affinity Missionary Baptist Church, and Keisha Krumm, executive director of Greater Cleveland Congregations, stand in Affinity’s lobby during a recent vaccine clinic. Photo: Conor Morris