Summer 2020 COVID-19 Trusted Messengers & Media Partners

A total of $300,000 in funding was awarded in July 2020 to community agencies, trusted messengers and media agencies to partner with the county's Racial Equity and Community Engagement Response Team to provide culturally and linguistically appropriate information and resources about COVID-19, resources and services.

Messaging took place through September 2020.

Media and messaging partners

Partners provided media services to aid the county in getting culturally specific, relevant, linguistically appropriate, accurate and timely messages and communication related to COVID-19 to racially, ethnically and culturally diverse communities.

Media services included formats such as online, radio, print, direct mail, social media, television/video and other culturally specific and appropriate forms of communication and messaging.

• Santamaria Broadcasting (La Raza)
  Target population: Latino/a residents
• Center for Hmong Arts and Talent
  Target population: Hmong, Karen, Vietnamese, Filipino, Lao, Chinese, Khmer, Korean and Asian residents
• Southeast Asian Diaspora Project
  Target population: Hmong, Karen, Khmer, Lao and Vietnamese residents
• CTV North Suburbs
  Target population: Latino/a residents
• Social Impact Strategies Group
  Target population: Asian residents, specifically Hmong residents
• ZeHabesha LLC
  Target population: Eritrean, Ethiopia, Oromo, Liberian, Nigerian, and Somali residents
• OMG Digital Media
  Target population: Black elders/residents
• Association of Nigerian Nurses of MN
  Target population: African born residents
• CLUES
  Target population: Latino/a residents
• Grace Restoration International
  Target population: African American, African Born, Somali, Oromo
• Empire Smile
  Target population: African born residents
• Fairview Health Foundation
  Target population: Hmong, Karen, and Hispanic/Latino communities’ residents

Trusted messenger partners

Partners ensured that individuals and families are engaged and have accurate and up-to-date information to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and can access resources and services for which they qualify both in their community and with Ramsey County.

Agencies covered a range of outreach, engagement, resource connection and referrals that reach diverse racial, ethnic and cultural communities.

• Karen Organization of MN
  Target population: Karen residents
• Girls are Powerful
  Target population: Black residents
• Kaleidoscope
  Target population: Hmong residents
• Wellshare International
  Target population: Somali, Spanish, Hmong, Arabic and will be adding Oromo, Latinx and Karen residents
• The Anika Foundation
  Target population: Black residents; some cross reach to Latino/a, API and European American communities
• Hmong American Partnership
  Target population: Hmong and Southeast Asian residents
• Darul Uloom
  Target population: Somali and Oromo residents
• Voices of Racial Justice
  Target population: Black, American Indian, Latino, Asian and other underrepresented residents
• The Other Media Group
  Target population: Hmong residents
• Vietnamese Social Services
  Target population: Vietnamese, Karen, Somali and Karenni residents
• Minnesota Institute for Nigerian Development
  Target population: Black immigrants, Nigerian residents
• Portico Healthnet
  Target population: Black, American Indian, Latino, Asian, immigrants, refugees and complex immigration status residents
• Restoration for All, Inc.
  Target population: African immigrants (West and East Africans) and residents
• Ujamaa Place
  Target population: Black men/residents
• Minnesota Dawah Institute
  Target population: Somali and Oromo residents