Community Support
The Elmore Bolling Initiative is committed to supporting the Lowndes County community through the following direct-relief initiatives.
COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
In Lowndes County, with a population close to 80% African American, poverty, pre-existing conditions, and the lack of Medicaid expansion were already intractable problems. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, Lowndes soon had the highest rate of coronavirus cases in the state.
By the summer of 2021, as the Delta variant surged, The Elmore Bolling Initiative stepped forward to coordinate a series of clinics in townships throughout Lowndes County to deliver the vaccine to hundreds of residents and bring the vaccine directly to those who are home-bound. Our medical partner, The Spirit of Luke Foundation, and our funding partner, The Haughton Family Foundation, made these clinics possible.
Lowndes County’s vaccination rate is now among the highest in the state.
A Lowndes County teenager gets vaccinated against Covid-19 at the clinic in White Hall, AL organized by TEBI.
High-speed Internet Access
Fewer than 20% of Lowndes households have high-speed internet, a utility now as essential as electricity to access vital services like online education and telemedicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has spotlighted the significant disadvantage this lack of access to the internet is for students and other residents.
TEBI advocates for increased access to the internet for people in Lowndes County.
Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash
US Highway 80 Clean Up
TEBI participates in the annual clean up of US Highway 80 organized by Alabama People Against a Littered State. This project brings together supporters of TEBI and local high school students to clean up the mile that includes the historical marker dedicated to Elmore Bolling.
Poor Peoples Campaign Rally
TEBI board member, Ann Baum, pictured above.
TEBI board members attended the Poor People’s Campaign Rally in DC on June 18, 2022. Learn more about the Poor People’s Campaign here.
Photo by Santi Vedrí on Unsplash