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LOS ANGELES (CNS) - A local crisis response organization will use a $200,000 grant to launch a fixed mobile site program in Los Angeles that will provide coronavirus testing, vaccinations, health screenings and resource coordination, organizers announced today.
Community Organized Relief Effort was awarded $200,000 through the #CaliforniansForAll Innovation Grant, which aims to engage volunteers in projects that address key challenges in the community.
CORE's pilot program -- in partnership with California-based national health care provider Carbon Health -- is an expansion of the group's COVID relief efforts across Los Angeles.
The site will be located at San Fernando Recreation Park and is opening to the public this week. It will provide resource coordination for underserved populations, helping the local community to identify relevant assistance programs, confirm eligibility, and guide them through the application process for federal and state programs.
Additionally, residents will receive assistance with programs such as CalFresh/SNAP, WIC, Medi-Cal, LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program), rent and utility aid and other general relief. The site will also offer COVID testing and vaccinations to the community in partnership with Carbon Health.
In addition to expanding the organization's operations and team of local staff and volunteers through coordination with L.A. Works, the grant enables CORE to provide proactive disaster services and programs addressing key challenges such as climate change, education, health care and food insecurity.
“As the pandemic continues to impact the Los Angeles community with new variants and rising cases, CORE is fully committed to protecting Angelenos by expanding testing capabilities, ensuring equitable access to vaccines and providing holistic resource coordination services,'' CORE co-founder and CEO Ann Lee said. “We are incredibly grateful to be a recipient of this grant and for the support and funding from our partners at California Volunteers, allowing us to continue to serve our neighbors in need.''
CORE has been serving Los Angeles since March 2020, administering over 4.5 million free COVID-19 tests and 1.4 million vaccinations to date. The organization was founded by Lee and actor Sean Penn. CORE organizations also operate in Georgia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., and the Navajo Nation, in addition to Haiti, Brazil and India.
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