About the Organization
SMART was founded in 1998 by women living with HIV/AIDS at a time when HIV-affected women had little or no access to information or resources devoted to their unique needs. Seeking to fill this vacuum, the women of SMART, led by our founding director Susan Rodriguez, began to amass information and forge alliances with professionals in the fields of health, treatment, law, and social services to create a hub of learning and support. SMART has since grown into a transformative nonprofit agency where self-identified women gain power and healing through education, self-advocacy, community building, and leadership development.
SMART became a Partner Project of the Fund in 2008, which helped build our capacity immensely and immediately. From being able to offer competitive benefit packages to current and future employees to providing the infrastructure for managing grants received from government, foundation and corporate entities, the Fund enabled SMART to grow and flourish through these and other highly proficient administrative mechanisms. The Fund’s extensive government grant experience and exceptional administrative/back-office operations played a major role in SMART being awarded the recent contract with the DOHMH/Fund for Public Health for the COVID-19 Vaccine Equity Partner Engagement (VEPE) Project, and the subsequent contract extension.
Vaccine Equity Partner Engagement Project (VEPE)
This initiative, led by the NYC Department of Health & Mental Hygiene and the Fund for Public Health in New York City, is designed to increase vaccine equity in communities across NYC that are experiencing low vaccination rates. SMART is one of a diverse group of community and faith-based organizations selected to offer factual information and engage their communities in conversations about the COVID vaccine. Through January 2022, we will be mobilizing small teams of SMART women and youth to serve as outreach ambassadors/influencers. These teams will initiate discussions with community members and distribute targeted vaccine equity materials we will create. We are eager to apply our experience and compassion to the common goal of a safe and healthy future.
SMART Invited to Meeting and Press Conference with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand
We were honored to attend the Press Conference on the Public Health Workforce with Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, held at Bellevue Hospital on January 27th. SMART was among the select community organizations invited to share highlights of our experience engaging with the Central Harlem community as part of the VEPE Project. Frances Wood, our SMART Technical Director and Youth Coordinator, represented us in the 1-1 meeting with Senator Gillibrand, giving a frontline account of our outreach work. We were able to present Senator Gillibrand with a swag bag of our VEPE messaging palm cards and branded t-shirt and hat, as well as other incentive items we distribute at our weekly outreach tabling event. Check out our photos with Senator Gillibrand, Dr. Chokshi, and Chief Medical Officer of the NYC Health Department, Dr. Michelle Morse.
Learn more about COVID and the COVID Vaccine
Dr. Samuel Merrick, MD (Medical Director, Center for Special Studies, New York Presbyterian Hospital) joined SMART University to present an educational series on COVID and the COVID Vaccine, which can be viewed on our website.