Reporter's pick: Volunteers help vulnerable book their COVID-19 vaccine appointments
As 2021 draws to a close, The Sentinel's executive editor Sarah Leach asked each reporter to pick one of our favorite stories of the year, big or small, to share again with readers.
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My pick: Volunteers help vulnerable book appointments with 'West Michigan Vaccine Hunters' Facebook group
It seems distant now, but early in 2021, the COVID-19 vaccines were not widely available to almost everyone like they are now. In early March, only certain groups were eligible for the vaccine, and tracking down appointments could be difficult for those who weren't well-versed in using the internet.
nWhen I learned that volunteers, across the state and right here in West Michigan, were taking time to help older folks, more vulnerable to COVID-19, book vaccine appointments, it was uplifting, and a reminder that
For the story, I talked to Sharlene Clark, of Holland, who told me of the hoops her parents had to jump through to book appointments for their doses. It's something that a lot of us, especially with older parents, could relate to.
Clark and many others took their experience and used it to help others. Through the "West Michigan Vaccine Hunters" Facebook group, she estimated between 1,100 and 1,200 vaccine appointments had been booked, as of early March.
"I've had people cry. I've had people want to buy me gifts and we're not about that at all," Clark told me in March. "We're just volunteers, we're just helping people."
The pandemic continues to be long, frustrating and for many, tragic. But stories like this are a sign that there are still many people willing to help others. And that alone is a reminder of the dignity that belongs to all of us.
— Contact Arpan Lobo at alobo@hollandsentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter @arpanlobo. Become a subscriber today.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Reporter's pick: Volunteers help vulnerable book their vaccine appointments
