Three local business owners in Hunting Park have become vaccine champions as part of Esperanza’s Our Voices, Our Vaccines Project, Ms. Kim from Kim’s Market, Ms. Ivelissa from El Fogon Latino Restaurant, and Mr. Felix from Maria’s Restaurant. The Our Voices, Our Vaccines project aims to provide the Hunting Park community with accurate COVID-19 information. Partnering with Esperanza to provide insightful feedback on COVID-19 flyers and posters and sharing these resources to promote vaccine equity in our community and among their customers, these three individuals became champions for sharing new information on how to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as it evolved.
In 2020, many business owners were greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic as federal guidelines forced temporary store closures. This resulted in the loss of many customers and a decrease in sales which made it challenging to keep up with rent and other bills. Despite the difficulties the pandemic brought, these three business owners remained resilient.
Throughout these challenging moments, Esperanza assisted and advocated for our local business owners in the corridor by helping them apply to grants to pay their bills and rent, as well as by providing resources such as face masks, hand sanitizer, and social distancing signs to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We are thankful for their partnership and dedication to using science to inform, support and advance positive change in our community.