When the Maricopa County health department was starting to run out of money for additional Covid-19 vaccination sites, Brian Mueller stepped up and offered the Grand Canyon University campus as a site for free.
"We just thought we needed to set an example," the GCU president said. "We need more volunteerism. When there are crisis periods, we just need a lot more volunteerism to get things done versus having to have the government spend more money all the time."
Averaging 600 volunteers a week, GCU administered more than 100,000 vaccinations.
"We were a countywide site but the purpose was to help people in this neighborhood," Mueller said of the university campus at 33rd Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix.
GCU partnered with Chicanos Por La Causa to help residents register using their computers.
"That got it moving a little bit," Mueller said. "Then we partnered with the Mexican consulate. People trust the Mexican consulate — people feel comfortable there. They would go there and register and buses would take them over to the site and take them back. We didn't have to do that very long. Word of mouth spread."
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