Health unit salutes volunteers at Arnprior's COVID-19 vaccine clinic

ARNPRIOR, ONT. -

After spending the last six months on the front lines helping get shots in arms, the volunteers that made Arnprior’s drive-thru vaccine clinic possible were thanked Wednesday.

Over 80 volunteers gave more than 9.000 hours, helping to deliver 19,000-plus doses.

"Without these volunteers we would not have had enough people to operate this clinic twice a week," Andrew Keck told CTV News Ottawa, who is the Renfrew County Health Unit’s Vaccine Rollout Manager.

The health unit ran its drive-thru vaccination site out of the Nick Smith Centre’s parking lot for some time before moving over to Arnprior District High School.

"So the volunteers played a critical role," says Keck. "To operate a site like this can take anywhere from 25 to 35 people, but there’s not necessarily a surplus of health care workers out there that can work at a clinic."

One of those volunteers is retired Arnprior resident Monica Scopie, who worked right on the front lines.

"I was directing people to seats, I was cleaning seats," Scopie recalled. "When we moved outdoors I did some consent forms, people would come and they wouldn’t have their consent forms. And then I started being a greeter."

They were jobs that enabled anyone who wanted a shot at Arnprior’s clinics to get one. Scopie says while the days could be long, seeing the relief in peoples’ faces when they got their shot was worth it.

"It was just fabulous," she said. "Their joy just rubbed off on you as well and it just made you feel like this is worth every rainy day, out in the elements, it didn’t matter. I was just so happy to see these people come and get the vaccine."

Making sure the clinics all ran smoothly was fellow volunteer Maggie Harbert, who served as the clinic’s volunteer coordinator.

"That was my focus for every clinic; do we have enough people checking in, do we have enough traffic directors, all that kind of stuff," said Harbert. "It’s been the most rewarding experience of my life working on these vaccine clinics."

Now as the summer lull turns into back to school, and eventually winter again, the volunteers say they are ready if booster shots are needed.

"I’m expecting we may have to come back again, who knows," says Scopie. "But hopefully we’ve got things under control and we’re good to go."

"People are willing to come out and help just because it’s so important," adds Harbert.