CBO Grant Highlight: PIDF and MCOH Complete their COVID-19 Projects

Since early 2022, HIPHI’s Community Engagement for Health Equity in COVID-19 Prevention and Mitigation Project (“CBO Grant”) has supported the COVID-19 outreach projects of 18 community-based organizations and Federally Qualified Health Centers statewide. The grant is set to end in November this year and many grantees have completed their respective projects. This month, we are highlighting the work of two community-based organizations (CBOs) that have successfully delivered essential resources and culturally responsive education to support and educate their communities through the pandemic. 

Partners in Development Foundation (PIDF) brings vital COVID-19 education and resources to Hawaii’s most underserved communities.
PIDF is dedicated to supporting Hawaii’s most underserved and hard-to-reach communities. They recognized that the pandemic disproportionately impacted their target population of Native Hawaiian and low-income families, so they focused on bringing vital resources and education to neighbor island rural communities. For many in these communities, especially those who were low-income, barriers to access for COVID-19 self-test kits, masks, and other PPE made compliance with mitigation efforts difficult. PIDF connected with other programs and community partners to distribute over 70,000 self-test kits and PPE, enabling community members to safely return to normal.

Another key strategy PIDF implemented was the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC) training they offered to schools and organizations. The training provided knowledge of infectious disease and mitigation strategies, including proper cleaning and disinfecting processes. Over 400 individuals completed the training island-wide.

Marshallese Community Organization of Hawai‘i (MCOH): COVID-19 education and vaccine acceptance in the Marshallese community.
MCOH provided COVID-19 outreach and education to Marshallese and other Compacts of Free Association (COFA) members in Hawai‘i. As one of the most underserved and impacted communities during the pandemic, there was a dire need for a culturally tailored and easily accessible response for the Marshallese. MCOH addressed vaccine hesitancy and COVID-19 literacy head-on by offering tailored, in-language education and conducting outreach and vaccine events at locations with high Marshallese and COFA populations. Their extensive network of elders, church leaders, healthcare providers, government agencies, and social service agencies enabled them to participate in over 50 outreach events and vaccine clinics. 

The relationships and trust that PIDF and MCOH developed during this past year have yielded the greatest impact on the Native Hawaiian, Marshallese, and other Pacific Islander communities they serve. It lays an important foundation for future public health outreach and education efforts. PIDF and MCOH have demonstrated why CBOs are vital members of our health care and social service system. They are irreplaceable in their ability to quickly mobilize and effectively deliver services and resources tailored to their communities. During the past year, the CBO grantees have broadened their reach, established partnerships with each other and with other agencies and organizations, and expanded to other issues important to their communities. The CBO Grant is nearing completion, and HIPHI will continue our commitment to support and amplify the incredible work of our CBO partners.