Annual Report: Looking Back at 2020

2020 certainly was a memorable year. When Boost Oregon was founded five years prior, we feared that an outbreak of disease could shut down the economy, close schools, and change life as we knew it. These events were exactly what our organization had hoped to prevent by providing vaccine education and spreading love instead of fear.

Although COVID-19 was a new virus, and new vaccines had to be developed for it, Boost Oregon was ready to meet the moment. We pivoted immediately by moving our community workshops and provider seminars online. We added a Central Oregon Program Manager to oversee our work in that region. We created and distributed a plethora of new printed and digital materials in six different languages. Our growing board of directors reimagined the organization’s mission and vision statements to reflect our wider focus on vaccine education for all ages. We formed a COVID-19 Task Force, comprised of medical providers and public health professionals, to create and advise our COVID-19 programming.

Most importantly, Boost Oregon prioritized outreach to the communities hardest hit by the pandemic, including Black, Latinx, and Native American families. We recognized that, while the COVID-19 pandemic affected all of us, it did not affect us all equally. We educated at-risk populations directly about the importance of keeping up-to-date on their children’s immunizations, preventing the flu, and protecting oneself from COVID-19 infection. We counseled local health clinics and county health departments on communicating the same to their constituents. And, now that COVID-19 vaccines are available, we are collaborating with culturally-specific community organizations and clinics to disseminate evidence-based information.

We are Boost Oregon, and we are Oregon strong. Thanks to your compassion and generosity, we will end the COVID-19 pandemic together and build a healthier future for all.

Mission Statement: Boost Oregon empowers people to make science-based vaccine decisions for themselves, their families, and the community.

Vision Statement: We envision a world in which people’s health decisions are rooted in science.

To read our full annual report, please click here.