After the City of Liberty City posted some of the worst poverty rates in the state of Florida, Aetna, a CVS Health company donated $25K to support Belafonte TACOLCY Center’s Community Canvassing Project.
In Liberty City the poverty rate is 42.9%, more than double the rate in Miami-Dade County (20.5%). Belafonte TACOLCY's Community Canvassing Project addresses the unique needs of the Liberty City community by delivering door-to-door health information and educational material directly to where community members live. This is especially important for residents who do not have access to transportation or consistent access to health care services.
"Aetna’s support will be crucial to advancing the health of our community and reaching children and families where they are," said Belafonte TACOLCY Center CEO Shownda Pagan. "We want to be able to join hands with parents to help close gaps in care so their children can thrive. Together with Aetna, we’ve helped provide access to care and look forward to continuing our longstanding relationship."
TACOLCY is a non-profit youth service agency located in South Florida. The goals and values of TACOLCY are aimed at remedying economic opportunity and safety for families in South Florida. Because Liberty City is now considered a "high-risk community," the community will be the next target of TACOLCY.
The community has some of the highest youth violence rates in the nation, and with approximately half of the residents being children, this is problematic. TACOLCY has historically provided assistance to over 5,000 children and parents per year through their programs, giving hope to Liberty City.
