In a blog describing the new $11 million Vaccine Access Fund, a partnership of LISC, Uber, Paypal and Walgreens, LISC's Interim President & CEO Lisa L. Glover details how the fund tackles more than the transportation gap that is keeping tens of thousands of Americans from accessing COVID-19 vaccines. "The fund offers a practical solution to an immediate problem," writes Glover. "But this is absolutely part of our larger efforts to address equity as well."
Across the country, people are increasingly hopeful about the availability of COVID-19 vaccines and their potential to keep people safe and healthy.
And yet, for many, the barriers to access are steep, especially in communities where long-standing inequities related to race, class and geography have left residents more vulnerable to the pandemic.
A new $11 million Vaccine Access Fund will help address one key obstacle: transportation. It is a collaboration among Uber, PayPal and Walgreens, and managed by LISC, that will facilitate rides to vaccination sites for residents who can’t get there on their own, with a particular focus on people of color and low-income individuals. We are piloting the program in Chicago with some of LISC’s long-time partners and will expand it to other parts of the country in the weeks to come.
How the Fund Works![]()
In addition to providing direct financial support, the three partners are encouraging customers to “donate a ride” when they log into their Uber app or PayPal, so they can join us in our collective efforts to support these communities. It is part of each organization’s mission to provide COVID-19 support, promote racial and economic justice and/or advocate for community health initiatives.
To implement the program, LISC is working with community-based organizations to connect people with rides, especially in low-wealth communities and communities of color that have been deeply and disproportionately impacted by the virus.
Residents will not need a credit card, smart phone or the Uber app to participate. Rides will be coordinated using Uber Health, a HIPAA-secure platform that enables community organizations to request rides on behalf of others and pay for the trips with grants from the fund, adding this option to their other services.
On its face, the fund offers a practical solution to an immediate problem. But this is absolutely part of larger efforts to address equity as well. As a Washington Post feature recently pointed out, transportation barriers are closely related to disparities in income, race, geography and health. More to the point, have found that each year, an estimated 3.6 million Americans do not get medical care because of transportation issues—including 9 percent of children in families earning less than $50,000/year. Older adults also cite transportation as one of the top barriers to accessing health services.
The obstacles to vaccination go well beyond the physical act of transit and we are assembling funds for this work as well. Our community partners are in the thick of problem-solving on the issue—from educating residents and assuaging skepticism to offering digital support, childcare options, language assistance, help for seniors and people with disabilities and other vital services.
We have to respond to those practical challenges. If scientists can develop life-saving vaccines in record time, surely we can help people get to them. At LISC, we can leverage our decades of community development experience, our technical expertise, our financial capacity and our strong community networks to help get more shots in arms as quickly as possible. We are enormously grateful to Uber, PayPal and Walgreens for their strong commitment to making this possible.
We can all do our part. Give a ride. Get a ride. Let’s do what’s needed. But it doesn’t stop there. Together, we can address the disparities in health, wealth and opportunity that impact millions of people throughout the country—taking on long-term challenges and meeting immediate needs as well.
To join the Vaccine Access fund visit: lisc.org/covid-19/vaccine-access-fund/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Lisa L. Glover, Interim LISC President & CEO
Lisa Glover is the former executive vice president at U.S. Bank, retiring in March, 2020. In her 34 years at U.S. Bank, Glover led numerous enterprise efforts and has extensive banking experience. She held a variety of line operational roles, including management positions in commercial and consumer lending, contact center operations, and continuous improvement. Glover also held key leadership positions in internal audit, corporate compliance and risk, serving as the Chief Risk Officer for consumer banking. She served as the Director of Community Affairs for seven years, leading the Bank’s CRA, environmental, multicultural and corporate citizenship efforts. She is a certified risk professional, a chartered bank auditor and a certified internal auditor. Glover has a BBA from Iowa State University in Corporate Finance and a Masters of Library and Information Sciences from University of Wisconsin.