A volunteer group in McLean County is providing a shot in the arm for COVID-19 vaccination efforts.Women United has set up close to 50 volunteers to help seniors make vaccine appointments online.
Both chair Deanna Frautschi said she and the group’s staff liaison at United Way of McLean County, Pat Grosso, had helped senior friends navigate the vaccination signup and were looking for a volunteer project.
Frautschi said getting a vaccine appointment sometime feels like winning the lottery.
“I had friends that are pretty technically savvy, but their timing was off or they weren’t sure when there were going to be openings,” Frautschi said. “None of us are for sure.”
Frautschi said it typically takes a day or two to secure an appointment through the McLean County Health Department (MCHD), or a pharmacy or grocery store.
“It’s the luck of the draw,” she said.
MCHD has been administering COVID vaccines for people in Phases 1A and 1B that include people 65 and older, health care workers, teachers and other essential employees. More than 15,000 McLean County residents have received both doses, while more than 41,000 doses have been put in people's arms so far.
Frautschi said the MCHD website is typically the best place to start, but she advised users to make sure they provide all the necessary information after they select a time. She said some thought they already had secured an appointment and didn’t realize they still needed to provide more information.
“It needs to be more prominent in terms of (alerting users) you’re not signed up yet,” she said.
Frautschi said volunteers have helped more than 200 vaccine hopefuls navigate a signup process that many find frustrating.
“We have not had sufficient vaccine coming into the county for some time,” she said.
Frautschi said she hopes it will get easier as more doses become available, adding she expects demand for volunteers will fade by April if vaccines are in fact easier to get by then.
In the meantime, Frautschi said the volunteers enjoy the hunt and take great satisfaction in helping others in need.
“This woman who is a volunteer said, ‘I stayed up past midnight and I feel like I’ve won the lottery when I confirmed an appointment. (I) couldn’t get to sleep until about 1:30 a.m. from the adrenaline rush, but wow was it worth it,'" Frautschi said.
Frautschi said anyone who needs sign-up help should contact United Way of McLean County.
Volunteers also can arrange for transportation to vaccination clinics through the nonprofit group Faith In Action of Bloomington-Normal.
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