On September 14, 2022, Vecinos, a free clinic for uninsured, low-income adults in Western North Carolina, received a $1 million grant from the USDA Emergency Rural Health Care Grant to assist in renovating the upcoming Community Health Hub at 19 Smoky Mtn Drive, Franklin, NC. In partnership with other local nonprofits, the Community Health Hub will offer a variety of bilingual, free services for low-income, uninsured community members, including Vecinos’ services of integrated primary and mental healthcare and COVID-19 vaccines. Renovations will begin early 2023 with an opening date of Spring 2024.
Vecinos has facilitated and provided over 7000 vaccines, testing kits, and masks to patients and community members via two mobile clinics and an outpatient clinic located on the Western Carolina University campus in Cullowhee, NC. Funding will assist in renovating the Health Hub in order to increase provision of COVID-19 vaccines and other supportive services.
The USDA Emergency Rural Health Care program provides up to $500 million in grant funding to help broaden access to COVID-19 testing and vaccines, rural healthcare services, and food assistance, to organizations like Vecinos.
Vecinos is a bilingual, nonprofit, free clinic that serves the uninsured, low-income population in Western NC with outpatient and mobile primary and mental health clinical and supportive services. Many patients have been impacted by COVID-19, from health implications to job insecurity. To assist the community in need and to meet the goals of this grant, their outreach teams continue to identify and assist patients in need.
As a matching grant, Vecinos must raise $2 million in order to receive USDA’s $1 million grant. A $5.6 million Capital Campaign is underway and is seeking support from a variety of sources, including individual donors. Donations are accepted on the Vecinos website at www.vecinos.org/donate. For more information regarding Vecinos’ work in WNC, please email [email protected].
