In recognition of National Immunization Awareness Month, The Massachusetts Adult Immunization Coalition is proud to spotlight the Hilltown Community Development Corporation (HCDC) for their commitment to increasing vaccine access and uptake in their community! HCDC is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering rural communities in the Hilltown region of Massachusetts. Through innovative programs that address economic, housing, educational, and social challenges, HCDC continues to demonstrate their dedication to fostering sustainable growth and revitalization of the Hilltowns.
From January 2022 to July 2024, HCDC received funding from MA DPH’s Rural Vaccine Equity Initiative, which launched the organization’s engagement in public health vaccination work. In their first year of funding, HCDC partnered with the Council on Aging Consortium, reaching 9 community members. In Fall 2023, HCDC had mobile vaccination events in Goshen, Cummington, Westhampton and their office in Chesterfield, successfully vaccinating 182 Hilltown residents!
Joan Griswold, Director of Community Programs at HCDC, said it was not easy to achieve these vaccination numbers. “It took a lot of work, a lot of advocacy. People in rural communities trust me as a health professional because I live here, too. But there were a lot of doors slammed in my face along the way.” Not all community members were interested in vaccination – many were skeptical of vaccines and trusted the scare tactics they viewed on the news, others didn’t understand the science behind needing a booster vaccination. In Joan’s eyes, the secret to success was capacity building and collaboration with well-networked public health professionals.
With ongoing misinformation within rural communities about the safety and efficacy of vaccinations, HCDC demonstrates a commitment to equity-driven and community-based immunization efforts. To ensure vaccination access and support beyond their DPH grant, HCDC has built a strong relationship with their Public Health Excellence (PHE) group and continues to broaden and deepen relationships in the 17-town region that they serve. “Nothing gets done in rural communities without collaborating. COVID allowed for capacity building. If we could do it for something we couldn’t predict, imagine what we could do for something we plan and calculate.”
If you’re interested in getting in touch with HCDC, please contact Joan Griswold at Joang@hilltowncdc.org.
