Facing Down COVID Variants, FamilyAid Moms Step Up
FamilyAid mothers are prioritizing the safety of those around them.
While mask use, social distancing, rigorous cleaning and installment of safety, and other practices have kept infection rates among our clients and staff the lowest of any homeless services agency in the state, mothers in our care are stepping up to keep their families safe.
The story of Yesmin, the mother of two young boys, Jonah, and Alex, is not unlike those of other families being sheltered by FamilyAid.
Previously employed in the service industry, the pandemic left Yesmin without a job and helping her children with remote schooling. Though they stayed home as much as possible, Yesmin was constantly worried about Jonah and Alex’s health as she watched her extended family struggle with COVID.
Yesmin decided to act. She was first in line when FamilyAid launched the first of several vaccine clinics for guests living in our largest shelters this spring. “I’m doing this to protect myself, and my family,” she said hopefully, after receiving her vaccination.
Yesmin is now helping to counter misinformation from spreading. Her story, among several others, are featured in FamilyAid’s vaccine advocacy campaign, encouraging other parents to get the vaccine.
“We must be conscious of the virus,” she says. “And in doing so, we can all protect ourselves and return to a sense of normalcy.”
FamilyAid’s goal is to ensure those in our care can obtain reliable information from trusted medical professionals and can access the resources they need to stay healthy. We are providing transportation and other resources to help families access other vaccine sites, and are now developing peer learning, communications, and support programs as vaccines become available to our youngest family members.
This advocacy awareness campaign allows FamilyAid Boston guests to hear from other community members who received the vaccine. To counter misinformation, FamilyAid moms answer questions about overcoming medical mistrust, choosing to get vaccinated, and the minimal side effects they experienced.
Along with the video interviews, FamilyAid is partnering with Boston Medical Center to keep staff up to date on the latest vaccine information; connect clients with its medical professionals, and to support a steady, weekly stream of emerging health and safety resources that the agency is providing to families as the pandemic evolves.
“Our number one priority is our families’ well-being,” says FamilyAid President Larry Seamans. “Our Boston Medical Center partnership ensures that children and parents in our care have the latest information about COVID-19 and access to the vaccine. As the neighborhoods we serve continue being hit hardest by the virus and new variants, we’re determined to keep our families safe.”
As for Yesmin, she and her boys are healthy and thriving. She is back to work and looking forward to spending weekends at nearby parks with her children this summer. She has no regrets about taking the vaccine and encourages other parents to do the same.
To see our mothers’ vaccination stories, please visit our website.
