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THE PESA POST
The latest news, views and announcements from
Parents, Educators/Teachers & Students in Action

May 27, 2021
VACCINATING A NEIGHBORHOOD IN NEED
With shots still scarce in some communities, PESA steps in to fill the void 
On Saturday, May 22, PESA held a COVID-19 vaccine clinic in Downtown L.A.’s Fashion District, and we’re proud to announce the initial vaccinations of 156 people. The event, hosted on the campus of the co-located Ninth Street Elementary School and Para Los Niños Charter Middle School, drew a cross section of students, their parents and extended family members as well as school staff and workers from the surrounding textile-industry businesses.

“This community has been especially hard hit by COVID,” says PESA executive director Seymour Amster. Adding insult to injury, they have faced considerable hurdles in getting vaccinated. “Some of these people are experiencing homelessness, some have multiple jobs whose schedules don’t afford them the time to locate a facility and book an appointment, some have language barriers, many have a lack of access to the Internet … whatever the reasons, getting vaccinated has proven nearly impossible.” 
Until now. “This is the culmination of everything PESA has learned about COVID vaccines,” says Amster. It wasn’t an easy process, to say the least. The event took weeks of planning, discussions and meetings with the Los Angeles County Department of Health, leaders of the two schools, outreach to the community and coordination with Curative, which administered the vaccines. 

“Going into the day, we had 60 appointments,” says Amster, but the event was open to walk-ins, as well, and the community did a fantastic job of spreading the word. “We ultimately had more than 150 people show up.” Everyone waited patiently for the opportunity to receive the lifesaving vaccine—and everyone who wanted it got it.

“We were able to make this a reality, because what PESA does so well is we listen,” says Amster. “With this effort and so many others that PESA engages in, we assess a need, gather information, listen to the thoughts and input of the affected community or group, and then formulate an action plan. It’s really become our hallmark.”
If you’d like more information or to support PESA’s many social and educational initiatives, please contact us.