Dr. Kim Rhoads: Showing Up For The Underserved

San Francisco CA

17 November, 2021

6:32 PM

Description

By Annika Hom, Mission Local November 17, 2021 Linette didn't plan on getting vaccinated that day in early June. She came out to Family Day—an annual block party in Sunnydale — to groove to the DJs blasting hip-hop and devour tantalizing tacos. The sparkling car show and the mechanical bull both begged attention, while thousands of neighbors chatted nearby. It was party time, and the last thing on her mind was a COVID-19 vaccine. Sunnydale, along with nearby Bayview Hunters Point, is home to much of the city's dwindling Black population and while Sunnydale boasts strong community pride, it's been historically underserved. When COVID-19 hit San Francisco last year, Sunnydale became an epicenter of the pandemic. Not long after Linette arrived at the event, she was approached by A.J. Burleson, a local leader in COVID-19 response efforts. Burleson was informing partygoers that they could get their vaccine on-site that day and asked Linette if she'd like to receive one. She declined. To read the full article, click here. Mission Local covers San Francisco from the vantage point of the Mission, a neighborhood with all of the promise and problems of a major city. You can support Mission Local here.