This article was published in the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development’s Newsletter.

*El Centro, Inc’s Director of Community Health Director, Justin Gust, presents Merc Co-op’s Outreach Manager, Laura Marsh, with an Outstanding Community Partner recognition*

By: Megan Wheeler, Management Analyst (Trainee), Kansas City Regional Office, Region VII

The COVID-19 pandemic has driven community organizations across the nation to come up with more innovative vaccination strategies. In what was once a downtown food desert in Kansas City, KS, that innovation has materialized as a unique relationship between a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) supporting better health outcomes in underserved areas, a local cooperative grocer, and a non-profit organization servicing the needs of the Hispanic community.

The collaboration came about when El Centro, Inc., an organization focused on improving the lives of metro-area Hispanic households, forged a relationship with The Merc Co-op grocery store, the host of the neighborhood farmer’s market. Their newly combined market program introduced community health organizers known as Promotoras de Salud, to offer tours of local produce and teaching families about healthier eating on a budget, has proven a successful vehicle for overcoming communication barriers and hesitancy to seek assistance. At the same time, Swope Health, an FQHC looking to improve the reach of its vaccination outreach in minority and lower-income areas, was impressed by El Centro’s close connection to the city’s Hispanic population and ability to reach households and drive customers to events.

Through further discussions and planning, the three entities joined together and began to host vaccination clinics in the Merc’s community kitchen beginning in November 2021. HUD Region VII Field Policy and Management (FPM) staff in the Kansas City regional office helped further catalyze the partnership by promoting these clinics to the area’s various HUD-subsidized properties and faith-based organizations.

On the day of the clinics, the Merc’s grocery store atmosphere provided a friendly and neutral environment for families and individuals waiting in the cafeteria for their names to be called. Gift cards and fruit cups to help calm any remaining apprehension clinic attendees may have felt as they waited. El Centro’s warm and welcoming staff assisted attendees with registration and educational support, while Swope Health professionals delivered both pediatric and adult vaccines, including boosters. Since its inception, the partnership has resulted in 6 clinics and 402 vaccines distributed with efforts continuing throughout the year.

When asked about the partnership to deliver vaccines through Swope Health and the Merc, El Centro Director of Community Health, Justin Gust, recalled that:

"We started to work with Swope last summer, hosting a vaccine clinic and Harvesters food distribution at their Swope Health West clinic in Kansas City, KS. They saw that the majority of participants who attended the event were Spanish speaking Latinos who found out about the event from our postings on Facebook. Since then, Swope remains a strong partner for providing vaccination clinics with us. In light of the success witnessed, FPM staff in the Kansas City region will work with these partners, and others like them, to expand the use of this collaborative model in other place-based work to better advance the mission and goals of HUD and expand the inclusivity and equity of our customer service."