Inglewood church launches initiative to get community vaccinated

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (KABC) -- Faithful Central Bible Church has been a pillar in the Inglewood community since 1993.

With more than 10,000 virtual weekly viewers, Bishop Kenneth Ulmer said he feels a responsibility to get out information about the COVID-19 vaccine. That's why in June the church started an outreach campaign.

"We've heard a lot about herd immunity," Ulmer said. "I think there's a herd hesitancy, I think there's a herd fear, I think, certainly herd confusion and we've tried to address that."

The campaign consisted of making over 12,000 phone calls, leaving and sending out nearly 23,000 door hangers and mailers, taking out ads in newspapers and also creating commercials.

"If we didn't catch you one way we would catch you another," said Crystal Mozell, the church's special projects director. "They trust us as a community advisor and that's why it's important that a church does it."

Bishop Ulmer said they specifically targeted Black and Latino men because that's who they say the LA County Health Department showed was the most impacted.

"The fact is that it is hitting our community, it is ravaging our community," Ulmer said. "And likewise, we need to respond in a positive way by protecting ourselves and protecting our loved ones."

The Black and Latino populations have the lowest vaccination rates in the count. Just 44% of eligible Latino Angelenos are vaccinated and just 41% of Black Angelenos. That's compared to 77% of the Asian population, 67% of the American Indian population and 65% of the white population.

"It's important because we are dying, plain and simple," Mozell said. "When you're not vaccinated, your likelihood of death is greater than if you are."

"The bottom line is get the vaccine, protect your family, protect others," Ulmer said. "Let's see God do something great."

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