Through a $500,000 Equity Alliance Grant awarded to Judson Center by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Foundation with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in May 2021, the multi-county human service agency has been working to increase COVID-19 vaccination knowledge and access in the Detroit area through a partnership with sub-grantees Development Centers and Practice Transformation Institute. The awarding of the grant followed conversations between Judson Center President and CEO Lenora Hardy-Foster and the CDC Foundation.

“I knew that by identifying the right partner agencies, we could make an immediate impact with the Equity Alliance Grant,” Hardy-Foster said. “Having strong partnership organizations is critical even for large agencies like Judson Center. When a national grant opportunity was presented, we were able to spring into action.”

The three non-profit organizations formed the Detroit Equity Coalition on COVID-19 (DECC) to fill a void in communities where people have had lower vaccination rates and, as a result, are more likely to contract COVID-19, experience more severe symptoms, and die at significantly higher rates. Targeted communities for purposes of the grant are Detroit, Dearborn, Redford, and Warren.

To learn more check out the press release: Press Release – Judson Center and the Detroit Equity Coalition on COVID-19