In response to requests for funding from community-based organizations (CBOs), Tufts Medical Center donated $300,000 as part of their Covid-19 relief efforts in early May. This grant was geared towards CBOs serving communities in Chinatown, Dorchester, and South Boston. The goal is to “lead by example, and encourage them to support local businesses while supporting residents where possible,” said Sherry Dong, Director of Community Health Improvement Programs at Tufts Medical Center.
Earlier in the pandemic, Tufts Medical Center distributed more than 500 wellness kits and provided Covid testing to hundreds of community residents at the Josiah Quincy School and at local housing sites. Now, they are also partnered with Jia Ho, a local Chinatown market to distribute gift cards to residents through organizations focused on emergency food assistance. “The priorities we identified were from CBOs that we surveyed to determine and prioritize those needs,” said Dong.
There were recurring themes from the community health needs assessment. “Certainly in the Asian communities these were compounded by the language access issues, and language barriers that they faced across those issues,” said Dong. “So things like unemployment and food access, it was compounded by the fact that things were not accessible in Vietnamese, Chinese, so the role of the CBOs are more important in bridging those gaps.”
As youths are particularly vulnerable during this time, they are a focus of the program as well. “A lot of the youth related opportunities have been cancelled or modified to something virtual,” said Dong. “The goal is now to make sure that “there’s still a learning opportunity for youth that is not just in front of a laptop or computer, because they do need that socialization, even if it’s at a safe social distance. We thought again, the emphasis is on obviously encouraging the funded nonprofits to hire youth within their communities.”
In the past few years, Tufts Medical Center has strived to provide for students, educating them about healthcare by shadowing and interning in a healthcare setting. Particularly in the Asian communities, it is important for bilingual youths to know that speaking more than one language is an asset, not a deficit, said Dong. For instance, in hospitals, there are departments seeking bilingual youth to help communicate with patients who do not speak English.
The grant is also going towards accommodating opportunities that have been modified into a virtual setting during the pandemic. “We’re assuming that everybody has the technology to just go virtual, but that’s not true,” said Dong. She added that not everyone has the same access to technology. Hence, in understanding and supporting the need for technology upgrades, nonprofit organizations like the Asian American Civic Association has submitted proposals in such long-term thinking.
“Our programs and partners are focusing on things like internet access, so that the clients can actually get online and do virtual learning, laptop, so they have technology to do it,” said Dong.
“It’s important in this modern era, that Covid-19 has kind of shed a light on; there are definitely things that are easier for some and not others, and I think technology will definitely help bridge that gap. So while not a focus of our grant, definitely something that we wanted to support.”
While these funds will go towards basic needs such as food and necessities to stay physically healthy from Covid-19, behavioral health is also an important aspect that Dong wishes to address. “We’re looking at health broadly, and what contributes to the health of a community,” she said. “It’s jobs; it’s having access to things, like technology and other things, and it’s about your emotional and physical wellness.”
She emphasized that the funds are critical in supporting the staff that are assisting the community members with Unemployment Insurance applications, and being able to provide culturally appropriate foods for families in need. It will also help CBOs acquire proper technology to continue to provide programs and services virtually.
“We’re trying to let people see how we’re supporting health initiatives that we do see, if very broadly,” Dong said.
Below is a comprehensive list of all organizations that received aid from this grant:
- Asian American Civic Association
- Asian American Resource Workshop
- Asian Community Development Corporation
- Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence
- Boston Asian Youth Essential Service
- Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center
- Chinese Historical Society of New England
- Chinese Progressive Association
- Greater Boston Chinese Golden Age Center
- Josiah Quincy School Association
- Kwong Kow Chinese School
- Ricesticks and Tea
- Vietnamese American Initiative for Development
- Wang YMCA of Chinatown
