A joint effort of The Food Justice Network - Cultivate Charlottesville and The Equity Center
As local COVID-19 prevalence rates have increased, data illustrating disproportionate impact faced by African-American and Hispanic households in comparison to white households have not only highlighted disparities in exposure but also in recovery and mortality. Black and Brown residents in the Blue Ridge Health District make up a smaller share of the population yet carry a substantial share of disease burden, recovery complications, and death. In order to increase access to COVID-19 testing, address misinformation, and tackle stigma related to COVID-19 within low-wealth, predominately African American and Hispanic communities, faith leaders and public health officials collaborated to offer free, focused testing events. Two days a week, wraparound resources were aggregated and dispatched across Charlottesville and Albemarle to COVID-positive households through the delivery support of Dept of Human Services and Blue Ridge Health District Medical Reserve Corps.
Read the results of the first program evaluation of this vital community effort here: