COLLABORATING FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH Covid-19 Collaborative and VIDA

The COVID-19 Collaborative was created in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CFMC brought together leaders from different sectors throughout Monterey County to ensure that Monterey County’s response was swift and equitable.

As the pandemic evolved, the COVID-19 Collaborative met with key community leaders in 2022 to discuss its future. It was clear that the infrastructure and network of the Collaborative should remain intact and could adjust to meet the community’s needs. This next phase will be known as The Community Wellness Collaborative and the group will focus on mental health.

The CFMC has met with mental health service providers, indirect stakeholders, and other community leaders to discuss and plan this new phase. The initiative will have an equity focus and be built around the idea that we are stronger when we come together.

The CFMC continues to co-lead the VIDA (Virus Integrated Distribution of Aid) program in coordination with the Monterey County Health Department. VIDA is an example of how successful private and governmental partnerships can be. The program expanded networks and leveraged government financial support with philanthropic funding.

Over the course of the program, VIDA has interacted with over 600,000 individuals, assisted over 250,000 people with vaccination support and administered more than 34,000 Covid-19 antigen tests. VIDA has shifted along with the pandemic by taking on additional responsibilities such as Medi-Cal application assistance, Narcan distribution and disaster response.

VIDA’s success is due to the care and love the Community Health Workers (CHWs) have for their neighbors. CHWs are responsive to changing needs and truly uplift local voices, helping to make their communities stronger and healthier.

FAST FACTS

115,000 Boxes of Food Distributed

50+ Community Health Workers

72,000 Rapid Tests Distributed

1,900+ Units of Narcan Distributed