Vaccine outreach campaign begins in Ventura County
OXNARD, Calif. -- The Ventura County Community Foundation started distributing grant money to local partners to help launch a vaccine outreach campaign.
Oxnard artist Cesar Aldna is creating a poster to help promote vaccines.
“We were targeting the elderly Hazlo For Tu Familia which means do it for your family,” said Aldna.
He is one of many local artists coming together at the Oxnard Performing Arts & Convention Center to join the campaign.
“As an art center what do we do? We utilize the arts to communicate really important messaging in our community,” said Carolyn Mullin.
Mullin, who is the center's executive director, said the organization recently received $20,000 to bring vaccine numbers up. It's thanks to a partnership between Ventura County and the Community Foundation. Nearly 67% of the county's population has received at least one dose of the vaccine, but the goal was 80% by summer. The community foundation distributed 34 grants-- totaling $600,000 to help spread the word, similar to the 2020 census.
“We are using a couple of visual artists to create posters that you will see around town,” said Mullin. “And we are going to get about five different film makers to create little videos about COVID vaccines and those will get aired on social media and we want to do a film festival with those.”
The PACC will also launch a student contest, where they can win a cash prize for creating their own COVID vaccine video. Ilien Tolteca from Oxnard is getting involved.
“I am collaborating with two fellow local artists and making a coloring book to promote vaccinations for our local children in the hopes of getting them to get vaccinated,” said Tolteca.
“We are approaching the Fall and kids are going back to school and they are about to get the vaccine in their age bracket so we want to demystify the vaccine and make it comfortable,” said Mullin.
Coloring books will be available for local schools, and expect to see other vaccine promotions in the coming weeks.
