🔹 Urgent: Equitable Vaccines Program Suspended Due to Federal Funding Cuts : Here’s what this means and how you can take action.

Dear friend,

It is with deep disappointment that we announce the immediate suspension of Out of Hand Theater’s Equitable Vaccines program as of Wednesday, March 26, 2025, due to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) rescinding critical public health funding. This decision abruptly ends our partnership with the Georgia Department of Public Health and eliminates a major portion of Out of Hand’s 2025 fiscal year budget.

The sudden loss of funding forces us to halt this vital work and make difficult organizational changes, including the elimination of positions directly tied to the program. The Equitable Vaccines program (EqVax) has been dedicated to addressing vaccine deliberation among rural Black and Hispanic Georgians by combining Out of Hand’s unique approach—art, information, and conversation—to empower underrepresented communities with scientifically-backed information and resources.

As we await the outcome of a federal lawsuit filed on April 4, 2025, seeking an emergency temporary restraining order to prevent the Trump administration from rescinding these congressionally allocated funds, Out of Hand remains steadfast in our mission. We will continue to use theater as a tool for social justice, community well-being, and civic engagement, and we remain committed to advocating for a more just world—for everyone. 

We urge our supporters to take action. Please complete this form to ask Governor Kemp to pressure the federal government to restore these crucial funds and to join the lawsuit alongside Colorado, Rhode Island, California, Washington, Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and the Commonwealths of Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Also, the Georgia Council for the Arts is set to lose $3 million in funding, putting arts nonprofits across the state of Georgia in jeopardy with the current Georgia budget proposal. Contact your representatives now through the Georgians for the Arts Arts Action Center to urge them to add additional arts funding.

To our partners, artists, and community members—thank you. Your dedication has made a lasting impact, and we look forward to finding new ways to continue this essential work together.

Please contact us with any questions, concerns, or for information regarding our EqVax team members here. 

With gratitude and determination,

Ariel Fristoe and Adria Kitchens