WASHINGTON, June, 2021 – This week Voto Latino Foundation, the nation’s largest Latinx voter registration organization, announced that it will be hosting a National Week of Action, from June 6 to June 12, to promote COVID-19 vaccine education and encourage communities of color, particularly hard-to-reach and vaccine-hesitant Latinx populations, to get vaccinated.
«Communities of color have been hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic and Latinx populations have been disproportionately targeted by disinformation about the vaccination process,» says Maria Teresa Kumar, CEO and co-founding president of Voto Latino Foundation. «Voto Latino Foundation and our partners want to ensure that our families and loved ones have the proper access and the right information they need to get safely vaccinated.»
Events and activations occurring throughout the week include:
- Digital content and graphics that will be amplified across media and various platforms to help inform communities of color about the COVID-19 vaccination process
- Social media live sessions with leading health experts and journalists to discuss community organizing around vaccine equity and access, including Dr. Marcella Nunez-Smith, Chair of the White House COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force; Vice News Host, Paola Ramos; Father Manuel Dorantes, Strategic Advisor to Vatican News; Austin, Texas Councilman, Gregorio Casar; and Dr. Ilan Shapiro, Medical Correspondent for Univision
- A national bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline for individuals to book a free ride to their vaccination appointment
Univision is a partner for the National Week of Action and will leverage its media platforms and air-time to raise awareness about the importance of being informed about the COVID-19 vaccination process, and will also host a town hall discussion during the week with Voto Latino’s Kumar.
«Univision is proud to join this collective effort to increase vaccine equity, education and access to viable health information at a time when our community needs it the most,» says Ron Estrada, Senior Vice President, Head of Government Relations and Corporate Social Responsibility at Univision Communications Inc.
For the national hotline, Voto Latino Foundation is partnering with Uber and GoGoGrandparent to provide free rides to vaccine appointments in Latinx populations and communities of color across the country. To book a ride, interested individuals can call the free bilingual (English/Spanish) hotline at: (855) 497-2117. Voto Latino Foundation has also teamed up with the Ad Council to encourage outreach amongst Latinx communities.
Voto Latino Foundation (VLF) is the largest Latinx voter registration organization in the country. VLF is a non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization centered around Latinx youth predicated on their influence in their households and their sheer numbers. 66% of Latinos in the US are under the age of 33 and will propel the Latinx electorate to be the second largest voting block for the first time in 2020. VLF is among the top 10 voter registration outfits in the nation and the only Latinx organization on the list.