Northwest Assistance Ministries hosted its annual Shot Blitz August 7 – 9 and August 13 – 15. More than 211 uninsured children in kindergarten through 12th grade were provided with back-to-school immunizations. Shot Blitz was hosted by NAM’s Pediatric Health Center, with administrative assistance from the Cypress Woodlands Junior Forum.
Appointments were not required and the cost to participate was only $10 per child, no matter how many shots were needed. The only requirement was for parents to bring all of their child’s immunization records.
“We are still tallying the total number of shots administered,” said Abiya Malhotra, Director of NAM’s Pediatric Health Center. “Some parents who had some pending paperwork and couldn’t complete the shots during the 6 day period will be returning to the health center in the next couple of weeks and therefore, the final number of clients could increase,” she explained.
NAM would like to thank the community for the help and support provided during Shot Blitz. NAM’s community and congregational supporters this year included Kinsmen Lutheran Church, Prince of Peace, Walgreens, Community Health Choice, Change Happens, Karya Property Management Group, Harris County Sherriff’s Department, Chick-Fil-A, Sanofi Pasteur and Firenza Pizza.
“This year, along with snack packs, we distributed books to the children to encourage them to read,” said Malhotra. “Thanks to NAM-led CCHH [Community-Centered Health Homes] Healthy Family Movement we distributed books to all 211 children and connected all of the families that visited NAM for Shot Blitz with information about benefits of Healthy Eating and Active Living, NAM Resale, and healthcare benefits through Community Health Choice and Change Happens,” she continued.
The Pediatric Health Center consists of a unique partnership between NAM and the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). While bringing excellent care to its patients, the clinic also serves as a training facility for UTHealth Science Center students as well as other local universities and community colleges.
If you would like to make an appointment for your child to visit NAM’s Pediatric Health Center please call (281) 885-4633 or visit www.namonline.org.
Northwest Assistance Ministries is a non-profit, community-based social service agency that strives to meet basic human needs through Neighbors Helping Neighbors. NAM provides assistance in areas such as food, shelter, health, education and domestic violence awareness and intervention. During its last fiscal year, NAM touched the lives of more than 129,000 people through its many programs and services.