Division of Health & Exercise Science
› WOU Community Health + Polk County COVID-19 Project › COVID-19 Project Outreach and Engagement
COVID-19 Project Outreach and Engagement
We work to engage with community members and provide the information they need to stay safe during the pandemic. Our team attends multiple outreach events where we provide contact tracing and COVID-19 safety guidelines information, as well as safety supplies for the community.
Our Community Outreach Events
March 31, 2023: Community Health Fair in West Salem
December 1, 2022: WOU COVID-19 Drive-Thru Vaccine Clinic
October 22, 2022: Polk Community Free Clinic Health Screenings
Our team handed out informational fliers and free goodies to individuals during the screening clinic in Dallas.
September 17 & 29, 2022: Polk County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics
Our team co-hosted and supported the vaccine clinics held at the Oakdale Heights Elementary in Dallas and at the Oregon Child Development Coalition (OCDC) in Independence.
July 24, 2022:Community Resource Fair
May 5 & June 23, 2022:West Salem Farmers Market
April 22, 29, & 26, 2022:Polk County Library Events
February 11, 18, 25 & March 4, 2022:WOU Gentle House Vaccine Clinic
Jan 25, & Feb 1, 8, 15, & 22, 2022: Polk County Fairgrounds Vaccine Clinic
Our team co-hosted and supported the Polk County Fairground Vaccine clinics. 92 vaccines were distributed on January 25.
January 27 & February 17, 2022:Ash Creek Annex Vaccine Clinic
January 21, 2022: FHDC Vaccine Clinic
Our team co-hosted and supported the FHDC Vaccine Clinic. Over 84 vaccines were distributed.
November 19, 2021: Monmouth/Indy Health Fair
Our team hosted a vaccine event and distributed 287 vaccines! A hot meal and educational materials were also provided.
November 9, 2021: Ella Curran Food Bank
Our team distrubted safety materials and survyed familes to ask questions about Covid-19, vaccines, and our Family Thrive Kits.
October 11, 2021: Oregon Public Health Association: Poster Session
Our team presented two posters at the Oregon Public Health Association this year to highlight our work with the bilingual Family Thrive Kits and the Data Briefs.
September 11 & October 2, 2021: Family Building Blocks Vaccine Event
June 29 / July 2, 3, & 21, 2021: Central High School Vaccine Clinic
June 2, 2021: WOUWOU Vaccine Incentive Table Eventon WOU Campus
May 27, 2021: Academic Excellence Showcase Plenary Session
Our team presented at the Academic Excellence Showcase Plenary Session and shared the many things our team has accomplished as well as lessons learned.
May 27, 2021: Academic Excellence Showcase: Poster Session
Our team presented two posters at the Academic Excellence Showcase this year to highlight major parts of our project.
MAY 19, 2021:Latinx Family Spring Newsletter and Kit Distribution
We distributed 1,000 newsletters and vegetable starting kits to families in Polk County.
April 24, 2021:Polk County Free Clinic Event
March 12, 2021: Older adult kit & family thrive kit distribution at the Grand Ronde Food Pantry
March 5, 2021:Older adult winter newsletter distribution
We distributed over 1,000 older adults newsletters and 120 flower starting kits to individuals all over Polk County.
January 28, 2021: Monmouth / Independence Rotary Club Meeting
We shared updates about our project and discussed information regarding vaccines and the new COVID-19 variant.
January 22, 2021: Family kit distribution at the Grand Ronde Food Pantry
December 29, 2020: Volunteering at Testing Event at Polk County Fairgrounds
December 11, 2020: Food box distribution at Ash Creek Elementary
October 27, 2020: Rotary Club Meeting
We shared updates about our project and talked about general COVID-19 information and contact tracing.
October 24, 2020: Public health screenings
Our team provided child and adult reusable and disposable face masks to Polk county members. We also distributed educational handouts and educated community members on contact tracing and general COVID-19 information.
September 21, 2020: Salem Dream Center
Our team provided hand soap, masks, and activities for children to Polk County members. We also shared informational handouts while educating county members about contact tracing and general COVID-19 knowledge.
August 6, 2020: Rotary Club Meeting
We shared updates about our project and talked about general COVID-19 information and contact tracing.
March 3, 2023: Ash Creek Annex COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic
February 3, 2023: WOU COVID-19 Drive-Thru Vaccine Clinic
August 25, 2022:Back to School Bash
May 25, 2022:Independence Health Fair
April 23, 2022:Fam Jam 2022 Event
2April 18-22, 2022:Polk County COVID-19 Hotline Door Hanger Distribution
February 4 & 25, 2022:OCDC Vaccine Events
Our team co-hosted and supported the OCDC Vaccine Clinics. 20 vaccines were distributed on February 4th.
January 28 & February 18, 2022:Dallas High School Vaccine Clinic
January 16 & February 16, 2022:Walker Middle School Vaccine Clinic
December 10, 2021: Monmouth/Indy Health Fair
Our team hosted our second vaccine event and distrubted 503 vaccines! Food boxes and educational materials were also provided.
November 16, 2021: FHDC
Our team distributed safety materials and surveyed families to ask questions about Covid-19, vaccines, and the Family Thrive Kits at the Farmworker Housing Development Corporation.
October 19 & 21, 2021: Salem Dream Center
Our team distributed Family Thrive kits, and surveyed families to ask questions about Covid-19, vaccines, and the thrive kits.
October 11, 2021: Oregon Public Health Association: Panel Presentation
Our team presented a panel presentation at OPHA to highlight our project, the needs of entry level public health workers through the lens of the Polk County Health Department, and our preliminary results of student exit surveys.
October 8, 2021: Volunteer at Smith Fine Arts Series
Our team volunteered at the WOU Smith Fine Arts Series event to check vaccination status of participants.
August-September, 2021:Fall Latinx Family Thrive Kit Distribution
We distributed 725 newsletters and kits to families in Polk County.
June 15, 2021:Latinx Family Thrive Kit Distribution to the Central School District
We distributed an additional 80 newsletters and kits for a Spanish speaking Family Event at Central School District.
June 1, 2021: Our team presented about our project and the federal aid student receive through three rounds of federal COVID relief to the House Education Committee.
May 28, 2021:Latinx Family & Older Adult Newsletter Distribution in Grand Ronde
MAY 19, 2021:Older Adult spring newsletter and kit distribution
We distributed over 1,000 newsletters and 200 rock painting kits to individuals all over Polk County.
May 14, 2021: OSU Class Presentation
Our team did a presentation and activity on health literacy and communication for a Spanish “Salud y Migración” OSU class taught by Dr. Daniel López-Cevallos.
April/May, 2021: WOU Student Vaccine Campaign
Our team distributed many educational resources throughout the WOU Community to educate students on COVID-19 vaccines and encourage students to get vaccinated.
April 9, 2021: 2021Vaccine door hangers county wide distribution
March 11, 2021:Family kit distribution
500 family kits were distributed to twelve community partners in Polk County.
February 5, 2021: La Junta Comunitaria
A few of our team members gave a presentation during a Spanish community meeting via zoom and Facebook live. We shared information about our project, discussed what contact tracing is and what we do to help keep our community well informed with accurate and accessible information.
January 26, 2021:Testing event at Polk County Fairgrounds
January 5, 6, & 7, 2021: WOU Athletics COVID-19 Prevention Presentation
December 18, 2020: Food box distribution at Ash Creek Elementary
December 10, 2020: Testing at Polk County Fairgrounds
October 12, 2020: Oregon Public Health Association Conference
Our team was invited to participate and present a poster in the annual Oregon Public Health Association conference, where our poster won the Outstanding Student Poster Award. Our poster shared updates about the current work of our project in the community.
September 23 – 26, 2020: WOU Move-In
We volunteered at the WOU Move-In event to complete health screenings for all students and guests moving into the residents halls.
August 26, 2020: Colonia Amistad testing event
We handed out safety supplies and educational handouts while informing Latinx community members and families about COVID-19 transmission and contact tracing information.
Populations We Serve
Latinx and K-3 Families
- The Latinx community is at greater risk for COVID-19, according to the Oregon Health Authority (2020) about 40% of COVID-19 cases are Hispanic. This population also has a lower education completion level, which is associated with lower health literacy levels and results in a lack of education or confusion around COVID-19 knowledge.
- The language barrier is one of the most frequent challenges this community faces. Limited access to materials or services in their native language leads to lack of credible and easy to understand information. This population also tends to have demanding, lower paying jobs or occupations with no benefits or supports. Individuals are unable to take time off work due to financial needs and this increases their chances of being exposed to the virus.
- Lack of health insurance, access and utilization also places this community at a higher risk for COVID-19. Even though people may be eligible for health insurance there are still factors such as distrust in the healthcare system, lack of transportation, language barriers and cultural differences that affect people’s willingness to seek care.
Older Adults
- The older adult population is at greater risk for a severe COVID-19 illness, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions. This risk increases with age and means that a person with COVID-19 may require hospital care or a ventilator. According to the Oregon Health Authority (2020), older adults are much more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19.
- Older adults are also more likely to be isolated during this time. Without work, restricted family visitation, and many organizations temporarily not meeting in person, older adults tend to be more isolated from the community. Isolation increases feelings of loneliness and can increase negative emotions such as stress and anxiety. We are working with this population to provide clear and current COVID-19 information, and address mental health concerns.
WOU Students, Faculty, & Staff
- Individuals ages 20-29 currently have the highest case rate of COVID-19 in Oregon. People in this age group are less likely to show symptoms of COVID-19 and therefore more likely to spread the disease. Younger adults may perceive they are at less risk and are more likely to attend social gatherings and venture into society as it reopens.
Our team is working to address the unique needs of each population and provide each community with informational materials that are culturally diverse and appropriate, to improve understanding and help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Our team is working to provide appropriate COVID-19 information, increasing prevention behaviors in the community.
Additional Resources
- COVID-19 Information for WOU students, faculty, and staff
- Polk County Health Services
- Family and Community Outreach in Polk County
- Oregon Health Authority (OHA)
- Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- COVID-19 Testing Locations (English & Spanish)
- COVID-19 Vaccine Locations (English & Spanish)
