Human services report: flu shots, grants and a town needs assessment form part of council discussion

Human services staff briefed the Nantucket Council on Aging on vaccine availability, open grant cycles and a planned community needs assessment during the meeting.

Jericho (human services) told the council that flu vaccines will be available through primary care and at the Senior Health Expo, and that COVID-vaccine availability on-island may be limited this season. “If you are looking for a COVID vaccine, you should get one where and whenever you can because I cannot guarantee timely availability this year locally on Nantucket,” Jericho said.

Nut graf: The department also announced that human services grants are open to eligible nonprofits, that roughly $650,000 will be available for human services with an additional $175,000 for substance-misuse projects, and that a contracted needs-assessment effort will begin data collection this fall to inform future funding and services.

Staff said the contract-review committee’s human services funding round is open; 501(c)(3) organizations can apply by Nov. 4. Jericho described a needs-assessment consultant who will be on-island the week of the seventh through the 13th to conduct focus groups and begin survey outreach. The assessment will include a year-round resident survey and targeted outreach events to gather information used to support future grant requests and town budgeting.

Human services updates also mentioned local initiatives around tick-borne illness education, a venison donation program connected to the food pantry, and expanded home-delivered meal options through local partners.

Council members asked to be included in focus groups and were told there will be outreach to stakeholders and residents throughout the winter survey period.

The meeting’s reminder about the senior expo on Oct. 18 also linked to the human services work: staff said the department and partners plan to offer flu vaccinations at the event.