Consulting & Community Programs

Allow me to introduce you to Ms. Julissa Soto. She is a great Catholic advocate for the Hispanic Community in the State of Colorado. Among many other achievements, Ms. Soto has created a new event called “Vaccine Sunday.” This event gives Latinos the opportunity to receive the appropriate information on COVID-19 vaccination to form their conscience. Ms. Soto brought Vaccine Sunday to our parish, speaking after our September 5th Spanish language Mass. She talked positively about her Latina roots, at one time undocumented herself, and how her faith led her to a dedication to helping the Hispanic Community. That’s why she devised Vaccine Sunday: taking a few minutes at the end of Mass to help Latinos make an informed judgment on vaccination. Ms. Soto has the testimony and words to speak to Latinos. I believe, God is working through her, and I would like you to give her the chance to bring Vaccine Sunday to your community. – Fr. Terry Kissell, V.F., Pastor

Previously I had been able to attend one of Julissa’s “Vaccine Sunday” clinics. I had been blown away by the level of dedication and openness she had shown when sharing her own story at mass and then reaching out not only to members of the congregation where the clinic was hosted but also congregations at neighboring churches in the area. I shouldn’t be surprised that Julissa could not stop there. She continues to identify the inequities in vaccine access and create new and unique ways to bridge that gap and connect with the community. Now her new approach is “one school, one vaccine at a time.” On Wednesday, I was able to attend the Fulton Equity Carnival at Fulton Academy of Excellence. Julissa has transformed her approach from leveraging the trust in religious leaders to now also leveraging the trust and community within schools. Building off of pre-existing school events, she has been able to vaccinate more and more children to combat the high rates of non-compliance across the state. At Fulton Academy of Excellence, the school had already been planning an end of the school year carnival field with food, fun activities, and a good time with friends. Julissa’s vaccine clinic was an easy addition. It helped meet the needs of families since it allowed parents and guardians to come outside of working hours to a setting that is trusted and convenient for them. Surrounding the clinic, children could be heard running and laughing on the playground. They could be seen chasing after their friends, getting their face painted, or even hula hooping. Many children came running up to the clinic curious to see what was going on. Julissa invited them to go find their parents and bring them over so they could join the other children in receiving their vaccines. When they seemed scared or didn’t like the idea of needles, she quickly joked around with them and made them feel comfortable. If a child was screaming or upset after receiving their vaccine, Julissa swiftly stepped in with some candy and conversation to make them smile and distract them. The whole focus was on making vaccines fun. Seeing Julissa in action demonstrated how receiving a vaccine cannot be such a strictly clinical experience, otherwise it will be harder and harder to improve Colorado’s low immunization rates.At this clinic I asked Julissa which setting she found more challenging to work with- a church or a school. She quickly replied a school. Both settings are crucial at leveraging the pre-existing community trust and also being a central space that families and individuals frequent. However, in a church there is only one person the congregation looks to and needs approval from and that is the priest or pastor. Within a school, there are so many more obstacles to overcome. Like the government, a school is more bureaucratic; there are so many more levels of leadership and chains of command that you must pass through first. It requires making connections with the school nurses, principles, the district superintendent, and everyone in between. While it may be challenging, the effort definitely pays off. So many children and families can be reached that normally would be missed by typical vaccination efforts. Once again, I was able to see first-hand the importance of bringing care and access directly to the community. This clinic also showed the importance of community partnerships. Not only did Julissa work with the school, but she was also able to partner with the Colorado Alliance for Health Equity and Practice (CAHEP) and pharmacy students at Regis University to provide the necessary services and vaccines. Improving vaccination rates is a daunting task for one individual or organization, so it is extremely important to partner with organizations who share a similar goal. Overall, this school vaccine clinic demonstrated the importance of innovation and cultural awareness when working to decrease health inequities. The typical 9-5 health clinic is no longer the way to reach those communities who have been overlooked for too long and partnering with schools is a necessary step in the right direction. – Madelyn Wild, Public Health Associate, Immunize Colorado 

What a wonderful addition to our school carnival! Families were able to take care of their health needs while having a wonderful time playing games, learning about science, and listening to good music. Students got necessary immunizations in a culturally relevant way that was respectful to their needs. We look forward to future opportunities to provide similar services to our families. – Dr. Dawn McWilliams, Principal, Fulton Academy of Excellence