Your monthly news & updates |
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In this edition:
- EBCAP staff get vaccinated
- Ines Garcia to speak at Opioid Overdose Prevention Presentations
- NFCOZ Coordinates February and March Food Distribution Events at Pell Elementary School, Newport
- Singing Out Against Hunger Donates $10k to EBCAP Food Pantries
- Molar Express helped adults with dental emergencies in East Providence
- EBCAP's Annual Campaign for Food Pantries is Underway
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EBCAP Healthcare Staff Receive COVID-19 Vaccine |
On December 28th, EBCAP's very own Dr. Fessler, Chief Medical Officer, was the first of the East Bay Community Action Program staff to receive the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine at EBCAP. The vaccine has been offered to staff who provide direct patient/client care. To date, 200 EBCAP employees received the vaccine.
Dr. Fessler and the medical team believe this will help break transmission in our clinics and community. "As Chief Medical officer, I am affirming that EBCAP’s position is that we will be encouraging everyone in our community to get vaccinated as is recommended by the Center for Disease Control and the Rhode Island Department of Health," said Fessler.
After the two doses of the vaccine, studies have shown people have >94% immunity against COVID-19.
As an additional safeguard, EBCAP staff will still be required to wear PPE until further notice, and we will continue to enforce social distancing guidelines in all EBCAP facilities.
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Peer Recovery Coach Ines Garcia to Speak Feb. 3 and March 3 in Virtual Opioid Overdose Prevention Presentations |
East Bay Community Action Program’s East Bay Recovery Center employees are committed to helping people recover from addiction, and they are also active in the statewide recovery community. Ines Garcia, Peer Recovery Coach at East Bay Recovery Center, volunteers as Co-Chair of the Governor’s Opioid Overdose Prevention Task Force Recovery Work Group, a role she shares with fellow Co-Chair, Linda Mahoney, Administrator of Behavioral Health and Substance Use Disorders Programs at the RI Department of Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals (BHDDH). This work group is focused on community outreach to prevent opioid overdoses. Garcia has also been a member of the Governor’s Council of Behavioral Health for the past 4 years.
Garcia is passionate about education being the key to prevention. That’s why she eagerly agreed to participate as a presenter in Opioids in Our Community: Perspectives for Parents, a virtual event being offered in collaboration by Rhode Island PBS, Rhode Island Student Assistance Services (RISAS), and the RI Department of BHDDH. Garcia will speak about her lived experience during the one-hour virtual event that will provide families and educators with resources, information, and community connections to address the challenge of substance use. The goal is “to provide parents/guardians with insight from local experts on the issue, as well as to share information about resources like Rhode Island PBS LearningMedia, so parents can effectively engage their children around substance use awareness and prevention. This event is geared towards creating a safe and inclusive space for parents to share their concerns, validate their own experiences, and to learn to spot warning signs in their children.” It will be held February 3rd at 6:30 p.m. and it will be offered again in Spanish on March 3rd for the Latino community.
The virtual event will be held on the Zoom Webinar platform, and it is open to the public. Registration is required. To register go to https://conta.cc/39GuQJ1
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Farmers to Families - Food Distribution Events, Fridays, February and March |
East Bay Community Action Program’s Newport Family and Child Opportunity Zone (NFCOZ) is partnering with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank and Pell Elementary School to host Farmers to Families Food distribution events every Friday from 10:00am to 12:00pm during the months of February and March. These food distribution events aren’t limited to just Pell Elementary School families. They are open to all Newport families as well as families from surrounding communities.
Farmers to Families Food distribution takes place outside the Pell Elementary School on 35 Dexter Street in Newport. Families will receive a large box containing produce, dairy products, and meat. Distribution is contactless with staff and volunteers loading boxes into vehicles. Participants are asked to bring an ID to help organizers track numbers served. Participants are also asked to enter Dexter Street from Hillside Avenue and proceed to the first parking lot on the left. For further details, contact Taylor Frazier, NFCOZ Student and Family Engagement Specialist, at 239-3116 or taylorfrazier@npsri.net.
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Singing Out Against Hunger Donates $10k to EBCAP Food Pantries |
Singing Out Against Hunger (SOAH) is an outstanding example of what happens when a group of concerned citizens join forces to help people in need.
Since 2003, this all-volunteer group in Tiverton, RI has been holding events to raise both awareness of food insecurity and funds for area food pantries, including those of EBCAP.
While the COVID-19 pandemic prevented the group from holding events in 2020, they worked together on a direct mail appeal to past supporters. Their contributors answered the call, and the direct mail appeal was a great success.
Recently, the group made a $10,000 donation to EBCAP's food pantries. Thank you, SOAH for your continued generosity, commitment to the cause, and for leading the way in community support to end hunger!
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All Aboard - The Molar Express! |
The Molar Express is a forty-two foot long van, equipped with two dental operatories and staffed by a provider, two dental assistants, and a driver. East Bay Community Action Program shares operation of this mobile dental office with two other Rhode Island community health centers.
Most days, the Molar Express can be seen serving children at schools, at Head Start programs, and at community locations.
This January, East Bay Community Action Program was able to receive special permission to use the van in East Providence to also care for adults with dental emergencies.
EBCAP’s Dental Practice Manager, Sandra Lozada, created this video to give viewers a tour of the mobile dental office and information about its safety protocols.
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"Together We Can"
2020/2021 Annual Campaign
EBCAP's Annual Campaign is officially underway. Proceeds will be used for emergency food at its three food pantries in Newport, East Providence, and Tiverton.
According to the Rhode Island Community Food Bank’s 2020 Status Report on Hunger in Rhode Island, food insecurity in Rhode Island increased from 9.1% in 2019 to 25.2% in 2020. This 20-year record high is directly related to the COVID-19 crisis. EBCAP can attest to this pandemic-related demand as it served nearly 4,000 individuals at its three food pantries while also distributing bags of non-perishable food to help hundreds of individuals at its COVID-19 testing sites and delivering groceries to home-bound seniors isolated as a result of the pandemic.
Will you unite with EBCAP in the fight against hunger by donating either online or by mail? To donate by mail: checks payable to EBCAP can be sent to EBCAP, Attn: Finance Dept.- Fill the Pantries, 19 Broadway, Newport, RI 02840.
Any amount, whether it’s a one-time gift or a recurring contribution, will truly make a difference. Please know 100% of contributions received will be used to purchase emergency food for people in Rhode Island’s east bay region. Thank you.
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