The Power of People Leadership Institute is partnering with several other organizations on Saturday, June 19, for a COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Phyllis Wheatley Community Center in North Minneapolis.
POPLI has been doing its pop-up clinics in its office in North Minneapolis with the help of the organization Black Nurses Rock. For three months, POPLI has hosted their clinics with their clients and a small group of the general population.
“Last month, we realized that the requests for vaccinations had dropped off sharply as it has across the state and nation,” POPLI Director Shane Price said. “Our thinking was that before any negative incentives were implemented, we would create positive incentives, and to be successful, we needed other like-minded community partners who saw the value in this way of thinking.”
The vaccination clinic will work to incentivize those who don’t feel comfortable with the vaccine to get their shots.
“Many African American people are still on the fence about getting the COVID-19 vaccination, but the virus continues to ravage our communities with sickness and death,” POPLI said in a press release. “We want our children vaccinated so they can safely go back to school and play sports.”
“The Power of People Leadership Institute decided enough is enough; we have to act,” Tierre Caldwell, the outreach coordinator of POPLI, said. “We will be proactive by working to help free our people from the risk of infection as much as possible by providing the vaccine to underserved communities.”
The clinic will have 300 doses of the Pfizer vaccine available to those who come out to the event. Every person who gets their shot will be provided with the following incentives:
-$10 cash in hand incentive from POPLI
-$25 grocery certificate from Cub Foods
-A box of groceries offered by Phyllis Wheatley
-Health care products offered by the University of MN Mobile Health
-A raffle entry for a $1000 cash prize from the MN Second Chance Coalition
The winner of the raffle will be announced live during the event by KMOJ broadcasting.
Price and POPLI know the importance of Juneteenth and the history of the day; now, they are just trying to give back to their community and ensure they get the chance to be vaccinated.
“The tyranny and brutality of Covid-19 has itself claimed an overt number of Black and Brown Americans whose health care has been somewhat diminished or non-existent,” Price said. “So, the significance in our way of thinking is the connection to freedom and liberation from the virus we now know as Covid-19.”
The entire group of organizations working with POPLI includes Juneteenth Speaks, Black Nurses Rock, Phyllis Wheatley Community Center, MN Black Community COVID-19 Hotline, MN Second Chance Coalition, University of MN Mobile Health Initiative, Minneapolis Spokesman-Recorder, KMOJ, the City of Minneapolis Health Department, and Stay Safe Minnesota. All of the organizations will be present to support the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic during the Juneteenth Celebration.
“The event came together through a mutual community partnership and like-minded individuals all aimed at preserving life, building community, and defeating this pandemic as much as we can,” Caldwell said. “We are thrilled to partner with so many organizations focused on celebrating freedom and saving lives.”
