O'FALLON, Ill — Church leaders organized a COVID-19 vaccination site at New Life In Christ Church in O'Fallon, Ill. And while it got off to a slow start, they aren't giving up hope.
"You can just get it one and done. You're here at church might as well go ahead and get vaccinated," said church operations director Vivian Moore.
Her idea for the vaccination site at New Life in Christ Church didn't go quite as planned.
"(Sunday) was very disheartening. We really wanted to have the unvaccinated come and get vaccinated," Moore said.
Only 10 people total showed up to their site on Friday evening and Sunday morning.
Moore and Pastor Geoffrey Dudley II had hoped the church would serve as a safe place for minorities and young people to get their shots.
"Specifically for the African American community, we do a great job of unifying around various different initiatives in the community, but less likely with issues of our health," Dudley said.
"Young people, too, are kind of uncertain, but we've got to encourage and make appeals for them to come out as well," Moore said.
Before workers from the Illinois Department of Public Health closed up shop on an unsuccessful vaccination attempt, Andrew Harmon, who received the vaccine, gave a sign of hope.
"I was expecting there to be a couple of people in there. I saw people were excited, because I was the only one today, possibly," Harmon said.
Organizers hope more people will get their shots at another vaccination site on Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.