Church sets out to vaccinate hundreds of underserved people in the community

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Across the Cape Fear, some have been unable to get a COVID vaccine because of a lack of transportation.

A local church set out to change that today.

New Hanover Regional Medical Center partnered with St. Luke AME Zion Church to hold a COVID vaccination event in Wilmington to serve the marginalized areas of the city.

A total of 150 vaccines were available, with many who received one saying it was a simple process.

“Easy peasy. Very easy, and I hardly felt it,” Lydia L. Davis said. “I really did. This virus has kept us closed in for long enough. We all have to do our part to make sure that we don’t keep it going and keep spreading it.”

Pastor Jermaine Armour helped to organize the event. He feels no one in the community should go without a vaccine just because of their circumstances.

“Our goal is to make sure that everybody is vaccinated,” Armour said. “Even those who are underserved. We wanna overserve them so they can be vaccinated.”

Sarah Arthur with New Hanover Regional Medical Center says events like these help to make sure everyone has access to the vaccine.

“We wanna make it as easy as possible,” Arthur said. “To be right here in their community, they can walk from their house to the church. I think it’s also important to be in a space where they feel comfortable.”

If all goes as planned, organizers hope to continue to vaccinate hundreds of underserved people per week. Lydia L. Davis feels that’s a great step forward.

“We now can be a little freer and get around each other a little more because of this,” Davis said. “And so I thank God for that.”

Organizers say the large turnout shows the great need for similar vaccination events around the Cape Fear.