150 Vaccinated At First Calvary Clinic

One hundred and fifty Newhallville residents got vaccinated Wednesday thanks to another partnership between the city Health Department and a local church. 

The city and First Calvary Baptist Church at 609 Dixwell Ave. partnered to bring the pop-up vaccination clinic to residents of Newhallville as the city focuses its vaccine rollout efforts on trusted community sites.

It was the first such pop-up in New Haven’s Newhallville neighborhood. The city has run similar pop-ups in other neighborhoods in order to make sure more people of color get the vaccine.

“Listen To Science”

Alfonzo Brown knows firsthand the effects of the Covid virus after he contracted it last March. After getting his first dose of the Moderna vaccine Wednesday, Brown took a sigh of relief.

Before getting his shot, Brown said he has played a waiting game to be eligible for the vaccine since rollout began.

“I had no questions. I know how bad that thing is,” he said about Covid-19. ​“This is the only way we can keep ourselves and family safe from the pain of Covid.”

Brown said he contracted the virus while working at a Department of Correction halfway house. For two weeks, Brown ​“had every symptom in the book.”

While quarantining, Brown, who lives with his wife and grandkids, had to stay downstairs to keep his family safe. His grandkids temporarily moved out until he recovered.

Since recovering Brown has lost several family members and friends to the virus. He hasn’t been able to travel for funerals or be with his family during hard times.

Brown quit working at the halfway house after recovering. ​“I felt like they weren’t doing enough to keep us safe,” he said.

Once Brown gets his second dose, he hopes to take a trip to South Carolina to visit his family, and then go to Las Vegas to see a close friend get married.

“You’re either a part of the problem or the solution, and the solution is to listen to science,” he said.

25 Clinics, & Counting

Wednesday’s site was the Health Department’s 25th neighborhood pop up vaccination clinic. 

A total of three pop-ups sites opened Wednesday as a part of the Health Department’s series of neighborhood focused clinics. So far, Health Director Maritza Bond reported, the city has vaccinated 12,000 New Haveners.

First Calvary is one of several churches that have opened their doors to offer a vaccination site that is comfortable and accessible for neighbors, and particularly Black and brown residents, to get vaccinated.

Since the start of the city’s vaccine rollout earlier this year, Bond said they have been focused on offering a plan that is accessible and equitable for all community members.

“We are making it not just about a shot in the arm, but also educating simultaneously so people can have the facts not the myths,” she said. 

In addition Bond encouraged residents who are undocumented to get a resident ID card and to also get vaccinated. ​“Our vaccine efforts are not about checking and verifying your legal status,” she said.

Community members scheduled appointments with the church and the Health Department in advance of Wednesday’s clinic. First Calvary focused its advertisement for the event on Newhallville residents through social media and the community management team, Rev. Boise Kimber said.

New Mother Gets Her First Shot

Wednesday’s clinic had 150 appointments from community members like Brown and Theresa Nast.

Nast called the Health Department and was scheduled for an appointment within minutes at First Calvary.

Five weeks ago, Nast gave birth to her firth child, who joined her at the Dixwell Avenue site. When the vaccine was first introduced months ago, Nast was pregnant. She began consulting with her doctor to make sure the vaccine was safe for the baby and consulted her newborn’s doctor just before getting the vaccine. ​“I was a little concerned because I’m breast feeding but the doctors told me it was safe,” she said.

Pregnancy during the pandemic wasn’t easy for Nast. She had to go to doctor visits alone and struggled to find childcare all while keeping her kids occupied at home during the days they remained home for remote learning.

Just before heading to her appointment Wednesday, Nast recalled her 9 year old, telling her ​“This is the first time I wanted to get a shot and I can’t.”

Nast said once vaccinated she hopes to have more of her family visit to meet her newborn for the first time.

Mayor Justin Elicker and Bond visited the clinic Wednesday and thanked residents for stepping up to get vaccinated.

Bond said the city is transitioning to service only New Haven residents for vaccinations. She reported that so far 17 percent of New Haven has been vaccinated.

In September First Calvary stepped up as a learning hub site for youth learning remotely. On Wednesday the learning hub was transformed into a clinic with five stations for nurses to administer vaccinations. Members of the church’s learning hub volunteered their help with welcoming patients in and getting them registered for the clinic.

Bond described faith based organizations and their leaders as trusted sources for the community. ​“From the beginning we knew it’d be important to engage all stakeholders to get the best rollout plan,” she said

Kimber reached out to the Health Department to get a clinic at the church to encourage neighbors to get vaccinated. ​“We want to provide that level of comfort where they can feel like this is a safe haven like the church is supposed to be,” he said.

“Just like you take medicine from doctors when you’re sick because it will save your life, take the vaccine if you want to live,” he said.

Just before public heath nurse Judith Medor gave Michael Harper his first vaccine dose she joked with Harper ​“just think about the lollipop you’ll get after this.”

Harper’s mother use to attend First Calvary and when he saw Kimber’s advertisements for it he scheduled an appointment.

Since the start of the pandemic Harper has kept in contact with family daily with video calls. Like others, Harper plans to get back to traveling once vaccinated.

“I’m ready to get back into my backyard grilling with my family and having cookouts,” he said.