Valley YMCA opens free rides to COVID vaccine sites to all eligible
Mar 31, 2021, 4:25 AM
(AP Photo)
(AP Photo)
PHOENIX – The YMCA of metro Phoenix is expanding its free rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments to everyone eligible to receive the inoculation, the nonprofit said Monday.
The service from the Valley of the Sun YMCA and Uber launched in February for seniors only.
“When we heard that Gov. [Doug] Ducey was expanding vaccine access to individuals ages 16 and older we knew we had to expand as well, and we hope more individuals will consider volunteering to help their neighbors get vaccinated,” Jenna Cooper, emergency response coordinator for the Valley of the Sun YMCA, said in a press release.
Volunteers behind the wheel have given more than 300 rides to appointments. Lifts are available 24/7 and drivers will take passengers to any of the local mass-vaccination sites run by the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Riders can also sign up to be taken to doctors’ offices or pharmacies to get their doses.
The expansion has created more openings for volunteer drivers. Potential helpers can sign up at the organization’s website.
Anyone who needs a ride to a vaccine appointment can call 602-212-6088 or email opas@vosymca.org.
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COVID-19 vaccine eligibility has been extended to all adults at state-run sites and other points of dispensing in Maricopa County, with the age cutoff set at 16 for the Pfizer shot and 18 for Moderna or Johnson & Johnson versions.
For details about statewide vaccine availability, the ADHS website has a vaccine-finder page with a map of locations and information about registration and eligibility.
For information about metro Phoenix vaccine availability, Maricopa County Public Health has an interactive map that lists pharmacies, government-run sites, health clinics and pop-up distribution events.
