Times Chronicle & Public Spirit
Hundreds volunteer at vaccination clinics
Sense of community permeates Skippack Pharmacy pop-up sites
LANSDALE >> Vaccinating thousands of people in one day is no easy feat.
“The community is the reason why we’re here, and how we’re here. If it wasn’t for these volunteers, there would be no clinic here,” said Dr. Mayank Amin, pharmacist and owner of Skippack Pharmacy.
Approximately 3,500 people received a COVID-19 shot during Skippack Pharmacy’s vaccination clinic Sunday at North Penn High School, located at 1340 S. Valley Forge Road in Lansdale.
Amin donned his signature Superman suit as he oversaw operations Sunday morning. While his business put on the pop-up clinic, Amin stressed how important the hundreds of people who donate their time are in order to make these events possible.
Clinic coordinator Cortney Marengo said she’s been a part of a “core volunteering team” to help grow these vaccination initiatives each time. She began volunteering at the pharmacy’s first inoculation event on Feb. 7 at the Skippack Fire Company at 1230 Bridge Road.
Since that snowy day, Marengo has been one of several good Samaritans ironing out logistics, as well as management with databases, volunteers and vaccinations.
“I think if Dr. Mak has taught us anything, it’s that supporting local ... is imperative,” Marengo said. “When this crisis started, his Skippack Pharmacy was one of the leaders in that small town community field taking care of their own people, getting everyone supplies and then now vaccinations.”
Marengo said those “relationships have been imperative” in coordinating to confirm a clinic location, work with area first responders and drum up volunteers.
Enter Isabelle Lawler, a pharmacy intern at Skippack Pharmacy who helps with the clinic’s logistical and volunteer aspects. The Worcester native and Methacton High School alumna is studying pharmacy at Thomas Jefferson University.
“I help make sure the clinic runs the day of, and [I] also get all the volunteers ready the week before,” Lawler said.
But who are these essential volunteers working to organize these crucial vaccination clinics? According to Marengo, they’re medical professionals, friends, family members, area residents, as well as “people who’ve been vaccinated and want to give back.”
“It has been an amazing thing to see people from all walks of life come together and jump in on this effort,” Marengo said.
“It’s really important that the community steps in because our health systems are so overburdened, they’re not able to even vaccinate their own patients,” Lawler said. “So being able to reach out to the community itself, [and] work with them really helps to expand the vaccine efforts, and we’ve seen how many people we’ve been able to help.”
During the most recent clinic, there were roughly 200 people working across three different shifts from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., according to Marengo.
She said volunteers were tasked with getting attendees checked in, directing participants to the appropriate rooms, preparing and administering the Pfizer vaccine, overseeing the 15-minute observation period, and checking people out.
“It’s a well oiled machine. There’s so many volunteers. It’s perfect,” said Wendy Milnes, a volunteer from Harleysville.
Milnes said her parents were vaccinated during a Skippack Pharmacyrun clinic on Valentine’s Day at Skippack Elementary School, located at 4081 Heckler Road in Skippack.
“They cried. I cried. It was so amazing so I wanted to give back,” she said.
Nicole Wassel, a recent Drexel University graduate, said she enjoys community service and was excited to participate in an initiative taking place at her alma mater after graduating from North Penn High School in 2016.
“It’s great that the community can come together and accomplish something as big as this to get all these people vaccinated,” she said.
Christian Sibel, a sophomore at Perkiomen Valley High School in Collegeville, has helped out at four of the Skippack pharmacy’s vaccination clinics.
“I think it’s been going rather well. I mean we’ve
been vaccinating a lot of people,” Sibel said.
Michele McEvoy, a volunteer from Collegeville, was initially referred to the local initiative by a friend.
“My neighbor volunteered last week, and said how rewarding it was. So I said I want to do it. I’m having so much fun. I want to do it again,” McEvoy said.
She was stationed at the end of the clinic as she shouted phrases such as “one down” “congratulations” and “take care” to people as they left the clinic’s checkout room.
“It’s been phenomenal,” McEvoy said. “People are just so receptive. They just all say how well run it was. [They’re] just so happy to have their first shot.” Milnes agreed. “There’s just a sense of camaraderie here,” she said. “Everyone is so happy, so appreciative … and it just really shows people that there is a vaccine and it’s safe to get.”
It’s something that those representing Montgomery County constituents are taking notice of.
“It is a testament to the community here,” said U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, D4th Dist.
This past weekend
marked the second time Skippack Pharmacy used North Penn High School to vaccinate people in the area’s 1A priority category. Last weekend, about 3,000 people received shots.
“It feels great to be back again,” said state Rep. Steve Malagari D-53rd Dist. “... It’s awesome to see the community come collectively together and really support this.”
“It feels like we’re actually moving the ball forward, we’re really getting to people that need this vaccine, getting shots in arms, and all of this wouldn’t be
possible without the great work of Skippack Pharmacy and North Penn High School,” said state Sen. Maria Collett, D-12th Dist.
While the COVID-19 vaccination process remains ongoing, Lawler took a moment to acknowledge everyone involved as independent efforts continue to bring the COVID-19 vaccine to eligible recipients.
“I just want to thank everyone who’s put in any kind of time and effort,” she said. “It’s been a hard few months, but without everyone’s support, we wouldn’t be here.”