Wallis Annenberg GenSpace and the Annenberg Foundation, in partnership with the Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation, announced today that more than 100 older adults and community members were vaccinated at a pop-up clinic hosted at the Karsh Family Social Service Center in Koreatown.
“It’s very important that those hardest hit by this crushing pandemic aren’t the last to be vaccinated,” said Wallis Annenberg, Chairman, President, and CEO of the Annenberg Foundation. “We have to do more to make sure that the vulnerable, the isolated, and the elderly get vaccines quickly and safely, so they can rebuild their lives. This is where philanthropy can step in and help bridge the gaps. We’re all in this together—and with a little help and a lot of heart, we can all get out of it together, too.”
In Koreatown, only 42% of residents ages 65 and older have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared with affluent communities in L.A., which are reporting that at least 75% of older adults have been vaccinated. The priority for this partnership was to ensure that the vaccine is administered to those at greatest risk and focused on seniors and other eligible caregivers and family members. At opening, the vaccination clinic attracted a line of Koreatown community members eager to receive their vaccinations.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Annenberg Foundation, the L.A. Fire Department Foundation, and the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace on this community clinic,” said Lila Guirguis, Executive Director of the Karsh Center. “Today we vaccinated members of the Koreatown community who are over age 65 and primarily housebound. We’ve seen a tremendous response this morning and are happy to fill this need in our community.”
“It was so great to be with the Koreatown community today and meet some of L.A.’s older Angelenos,” said Jennifer Wong, Executive Director of the Wallis Annenberg GenSpace. “We were thrilled to create an age- and language-friendly site with the Karsh Center. Their longstanding support in Koreatown helped make today a huge success. Now that GenSpace is open, we are excited to serve older adults in the community.”
