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2022 SESSION


HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 279
Commending Second Baptist Church of South Richmond.

 

Agreed to by the House of Delegates, February 28, 2022
Agreed to by the Senate, March 3, 2022

 

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church of South Richmond has greatly promoted the health and well-being of others by serving as a Virginia Department of Health community hub during the COVID-19 pandemic; and

WHEREAS, as part of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign of the Richmond and Henrico County Health Districts of the Virginia Department of Health (VDH), community hubs were established to improve understanding of and access to the vaccine; and

WHEREAS, with a history dating back to the late 1800s, Second Baptist Church on Broad Rock Boulevard in South Richmond is a trusted and venerated institution that has been an integral part of many people’s lives; and

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church served as the first VDH community hub in Richmond and facilitated the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine to more than 1,400 residents in early 2021; and

WHEREAS, by serving as a community hub, Second Baptist Church helped address many of the barriers, such as lack of transportation or lack of trust in healthcare providers, that often undermine the success of public health campaigns in underserved neighborhoods; and

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church staff offered the church’s premises for mass vaccination events, and supported outreach efforts in the community to convey the importance of registering for the COVID-19 vaccine by disseminating information through the church’s network and going door to door to speak with residents; and

WHEREAS, the community hub at Second Baptist Church was particularly successful in encouraging older residents who are more vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19 to get vaccinated; and

WHEREAS, Second Baptist Church and its congregants have played a vital role in advancing the VDH’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign and in improving equitable access to health care for all; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Second Baptist Church of South Richmond for its extraordinary work in the interest of public health and safety during the COVID-19 pandemic; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the Reverend Ralph S. Hodge, pastor of Second Baptist Church of Richmond, as an expression of the General Assembly’s admiration for the church’s contributions to the Commonwealth.