By Anna Phillips | January 22, 2021 at 7:20 PM EST – Updated January 23 at 12:41 PM
WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – Dozens of vaccines were given to people at two area churches today thanks to the hard work of a few activists who wanted to find a more convenient option for older adults in the black community.
”I just want to make sure that our seniors are taken care of. I think that they should be our priority,” said Evelyn Adgar, who organized the drive-thru vaccine clinic at the Dreams Center for Art Education Friday morning. “My Mother is no longer here but I always think about if she were here, what would be some easy ways that I could make sure that she was taken care of, so that’s how I opened up to make sure the seniors were taken care of.”
On the south side of Wilmington, Linda Pierce Thomas helped get the Mount Olive A.M.E. Church open for a few dozen vaccine appointments Friday afternoon for folks who may have had a hard time getting a vaccine elsewhere or who may have been wary of the vaccine altogether.
“Because of some of the psychological issues that arise from being used before in the history of this county with black folk, so it’s legitimate to us,” she said. “But you have to realize this is a life and death situation, especially for African-Americans and we need to seriously consider doing this for ourselves.”
Chief NHRMC Physician Dr. Philip Brown says the hospital system is working on ways to make access to vaccine appointments easier.
“We acknowledge right now that the process for getting an appointment for vaccinations here and across the country is not what it needs to be,” he said. “Our commitment is to continue to improve those processes to make it easier to sign up so that everyone who is willing to get this life saving vaccine is able to do so in a much easier manner.”
Those who received one were grateful.
“I think it’s a wonderful thing,” said Marva Robinson. “It is so essential that we all get in and get our vaccine so that we can return to some sense of normalcy.”
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