Hola Carolina offers free rides to COVID vaccinations to help Latinx community

Hola Carolina, a Spanish news resource and collaborative partner building connections that serve the Latinx community in Western North Carolina, has announced a new transportation program, called Vamos Carolina, to provide COVID-19 vaccinations to families and workers.

This complimentary service spanning 18 counties is made possible with support from Dogwood Health Trust.

The initial support from Dogwood has enabled Hola to purchase the van necessary to provide the transportation, but in order to meet long-term goals and reach more people in the region, additional funding for Vamos Carolina will be necessary. 

Hola Carolina has established a transportation hotline that is now open for families and workers in the Latinx community. Those interested in round-trip transportation to a vaccination can call to schedule at 828-989-5248 or visit holacarolina.org

"The primary barrier to vaccinations for our families and workers is due to lack of a vehicle. We recognize how critical it is to close the vaccination gap in rural Latinx communities by providing much-needed transportation services,” said Adriana Chavela, executive director of Hola Carolina.

“Our program, Vamos Carolina, is aggressive because it has to be — health equity impacts our economy -- with healthier workers, we have a stronger and more competitive state.

"The peace of mind offered by this program will go far to improve our economy and the health of our families. We’re so grateful to Dogwood Health Trust for the initial funding to make Vamos Carolina possible.” 

Hispanics make up 9.8 percent of North Carolina’s population and have borne the burden of 21 % of the state’s more than 930,000 cases of COVID-19. As of April 22, they made up 11.2 percent of those vaccinated compared with 20.1 percent of African-Americans, according to the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services. 

“The health of all of us depends on the health of each of us,” said Chavela. 

Vamos Carolina is an initiative open to the Latinx community living in WNC counties including Henderson, Polk and Transylvania. Vamos Carolina is accessible to families and individuals who need transportation for health services beyond COVID-19 vaccinations.  

For those interested in scheduling a free ride to vaccination appointments or to help deliver such services, call the Vamos Carolina transportation hotline at 828-989-5248 or visit holacarolina.org.

Hola Carolina is a nonprofit serving Western North Carolina and the Upstate of South Carolina. The organization focuses on connecting cultures with communities and does that by providing accurate, non-biased news reporting in Spanish; connecting members of the Latinx community with resources and opportunities; and partnering with nonprofits, higher education, and private corporations to accomplish public health, economic development and human service initiatives within the Latinx community.