(LONG BRANCH, NJ) -- Brookdale Community College and MOCEANS Center for Independent Living will partner with the Long Branch Health Department to bring a pop-up vaccination site to Long Branch, NJ, on February 14, 2022, from 9:30am - 1:30pm at Brookdale's regional location located at 213 Broadway on corner of 3rd Avenue. 

MOCEANS is a new tenant for Brookdale, making it incredibly easy to provide a pop-up clinic geared primarily for people with disabilities. Since last year, Brookdale has been operating a vaccination site on its Lincroft campus and has the experience to provide all the ancillary services needed for this Long Branch pop-up. 

"There is an initiative by the Feds working with senators for independent living to get people with disabilities vaccinated against COVID-19, and to work against some of the misinformation that is out there," said Judyth Brown, MS Ed, executive director of MOCEANS. "The Department of Health is looking for responsible partners in the community and we fit and so does Brookdale." 

Well known in the disability community, MOCEANS has been serving this population, their families, friends, and allies since 1989 and will be reaching out to their core population. 

"It is a big deal every time you have to get a shot." Among their cohort, many people need to get boosted, especially people with mobility challenges. "We also have the means to get people there who do not have transportation," Brown said.  

"The location is centrally located in Long Branch and has ample parking, making the site very accessible for busses and other handicap transportation," said Jimmy Episcopia, associate vice president of Operations at Brookdale. 

Although the target audience will be people with disabilities, the pop-up site will be available to all community members who need to be vaccinated or would like to receive a booster. 

MOCEANS is a non-residential, consumer-controlled, community-based 501c3 nonprofit organization. Their mission is to promote public awareness and barrier-free access in the community while supporting individual choice, advancing the independent living philosophy, and promoting the civil rights and inclusion of all people living with disabilities. 

Brookdale Community College in Lincroft, New Jersey, is an excellent resource for residents of Monmouth County. The College offers (2-year) associate degrees and certificates, plus noncredit classes in many personal and professional areas of interest. Brookdale is an open-admission, comprehensive community college which serves over 20,000 students per year at six locations throughout Monmouth County.