Expanding Vaccinations in Impacted Communities of Color

Over the past several weeks, the Weingart Foundation has provided $1 million in rapid response support to a number of community clinics that are working around the clock to vaccinate working class Black, Latinx and other communities of color. Community-based organizations continue to be at the forefront in pushing for vaccination allocations in impacted communities of color, engaging in outreach and education, and fighting relentlessly against systemic barriers designed to exclude those who most need these life-saving doses.

We are proud to support an innovative partnership between a coalition of clinics led by St. John’s Well Child and Family Center with S.E.I.U. Local 2015 to vaccinate 60,000 community members across the county per week. The Foundation has also played a key role in raising $1 million from the philanthropic community for this project. In addition, we are supporting vaccination efforts in the Southeast L.A. cities and providing unrestricted operating support to a number of key clinics in underserved neighborhoods across the region, including in South L.A., the Antelope Valley, Central and East L.A., and the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys. It is only when the working-class communities of color most impacted by the pandemic are made safe and whole that we will be able truly emerge from this time.

Empowering Pacific Islander Communities – Nonprofit Spotlight

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by the pandemic, facing economic impacts, sickness, and death at high levels that exposed deep and ongoing inequities. We are proud to highlight the work of Empowering Pacific Islander Communities (E.P.I.C.), a partner based in Los Angeles that is doing critical work to respond to immediate needs while building community leadership. To read the E.P.I.C. Spotlight, click here.

Staff Leadership

We are pleased to share two recent staff changes at the Foundation. Joyce Ybarra has been promoted to Director, Grant Operations, and in this role will take over the management of the Foundation’s day-to-day grantmaking. Previously our Director of Learning, Joyce has extensive experience as a grantmaker and manager. She first joined the Foundation in 2009. Joyce will be working in close partnership with Joanna Jackson, Vice President, Programs, who will now focus on broader strategy and alignment across our program areas.