HUD Greensboro team supports Fayetteville Housing Authority COVID-19 vaccine pop-up events

The team of Optum Serve vaccine providers participating at the eight public housing pop-up events with the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority.

Jaimal McEntyre, resident at Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority, receives the COVID-19 vaccine at a pop-up event on August 31st.

On August 31, 2021, the City of Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority (FMHA) sponsored a Back to School and COVID-19 vaccination pop-up events at their housing complexes. The HUD North Carolina team, the FMHA, the Cumberland County Health Department, and Optum Serve (health provider) partnered at eight FMHA sites, Melvin Place, Blueberry Place, Murchison Townhouses, Lewis Heights, Point Place, Stanton Arms, Holland Homes, and McNeill Apartments, to provide COVID-19 vaccines to interested residents.

To increase participation at the pop-ups, the FMHA coordinated a trusted messenger table talk the day before the vaccine event. The Greensboro Field Office Director organized the table talk with Teresa Anthony, Director of Family Self-Sufficiency Programs, to secure trusted messengers from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, NC Counts (Healthier Together), the Cumberland County Health Department, El Centro Hispano, and representatives from Cumberland County schools.

Greensboro Field Office Director, Roosevelt A. Grant stated: "I am very pleased to be able to witness first-hand the commitment that the Fayetteville Metropolitan Housing Authority has to their residents. Karen Bowens and Teresa Anthony led the charge today to help as many residents as they could to get vaccinated".

Karen Bowens, FMHA Resident Services Director, and Teresa Anthony managed the vaccination popups and FMHA staff and the Greensboro Field Office Director engaged in door-to-door canvassing, at over 400 units during the event to garner participation.

Vaccine providers from the Cumberland County Health Department and Optum Serve provided COVID-19 vaccines. "It's time to get the shot because there is a lot going on and I got to get it done", said Alecia Walsh, Optum Serve Coordinator. Teresa Anthony stated: "We put a lot of effort as a team to set this up. We did not get as many folks vaccinated today as I would have liked but we just want to provide the residents with another opportunity to get vaccinated. We met our goal of getting the vaccine to the residents where they live if they choose to do so".

Gift cards were provided to the children as part of the Back-to-School event. Additionally, masks and other PPE were distributed to residents on a first come, first serve basis.

###