GREENBURGH RECEIVES GRANT TO ESTABLISH VACCINE HESITANCY INITIAVE: YOUTHS RECRUITED TO REACH OUT AND EASE VACCINE FEARS | WHITE PLAINS CITIZENETREPORTER 3,374,995 VISITS IN ONE YEAR---65,000 VISITS A WEEK BY 985,281 VISITORS

WPCNR THE FEINER REPORT. From Town of Greenburgh Supervisor Paul Feiner. March 25, 2021:

I am pleased to announce grant funding of $9,000 that has just been awarded from the Westchester Community Foundation to support a new Vaccine Hesitancy Initiative the town is launching with plans to give teenagers paid jobs and bolster local businesses while encouraging every eligible individual to get vaccinated.

Recent funding of $6,000 from the UJA – Federation of NY brings the program budget to $15,000. This initiative will run alongside the continuing success of the Covid Angels volunteers to secure vaccination appointments for over 2,000 residents to date, and increase awareness of this essential service.

The innovative idea to overcome vaccine hesitancy in Greenburgh and beyond involves creating a targeted marketing program with two other important key goals to: drive consumers to struggling small businesses and support local families by giving their teenage children opportunities for substantial paid work.

The aim is to encourage small businesses to offer incentives to customers who show they’ve been “vaxed.” The businesses will then be promoted in informational flyers on how and why to get the vaccine (and how the Angels can help) to be distributed widely in print, video, and social media.

Our teens will be supported by volunteers with professional marketing expertise who are already at work creating a character based on “Marc the Pharmacist,” our real neighborhood pharmacist of Marinelli’s Village Pharmacy of Elmsford.

The teens, pulled from those who have taken the Crossroads work-readiness summer program last year at the Theodore D. Young Community Center, will receive valuable work experience, help businesses, and truly have a hand in saving lives. The town welcomes more volunteers to support this effort in various capacities based on your skills and interests and encourages you to reach out to kmadsen@greenburghny.com to sign up.

To receive help getting an appointment from a Covid Angel, sign up here: https://forms.gle/CMauFiZLHM5iLMoV9

PAUL FEINER