© Provided by Monterey HeraldDr. Ana Abril receives a Pfizer vaccine at Natividad Medical Center. (Courtesy Natividad Medical Center)
SALINAS - Natividad Foundation announced it has received a $200,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation to bring additional vaccine clinics to Monterey County through Natividad hospital. The gift is the largest single donation received for Natividad's COVID-19 efforts and brings the bank's support to Natividad to $250,000 since the onset of the pandemic.
While the new clinics are available to everyone, a focus has been on vaccinating essential workers such as farm laborers and teachers. The gift was given as part of the 2021 campaign for The Agricultural Leadership Council, a group formed by John D'Arrigo and several leading farm families aimed at changing and saving the lives of agricultural laborers and their families.
Natividad, with help of Bank of America support, has been able to vaccinate almost 8,000 people with their first Pfizer shot, about 70% of them being Latino. The second shot clinics are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
"The past year has been extremely challenging for the world, but now we have tools to help us bring an end to the pandemic," Natividad Chief Medical Officer Dr. Craig Walls said in a press release. "We are thrilled that the contribution from Bank of America can be used to facilitate more vaccinations for everyone, including those who have been working throughout the pandemic to keep us safe and healthy."