Valley of the Sun YMCA is offering elderly people free rides for COVID-19 vaccine appointments, helping bridge a gap for some of the most vulnerable.
On Tuesday, the organization will begin to provide free rides thanks to the donation of a longtime YMCA supporter, Chuck Dubroff, who helped make Uber rides available for seniors calling for questions at the Maricopa Department of Health Medical Reserve Corps.
"Assembling the right partners for the endeavor, my wife and I and a few friends made a charitable contribution to the Y to implement the program. We have great hope that this program will remove in whole, or in part, the limitation on those seniors and others who find that transportation and its costs is a barrier to receiving the vaccine," Dubroff said.
The YMCA and Uber have worked with the Arizona Department of Health Services to help with the drop-off and pick-up process at the state-run vaccination sites.
"This partnership will allow vulnerable individuals in our community to get the vaccine, which will be life-changing for them personally. We are honored to have received a donation to make this possible, and we hope more individuals will consider volunteering to help their neighbors get vaccinated," said Emergency Response Coordinator Jenna Cooper.
The organization is still looking for more volunteers to become drivers for the vaccination transportation effort.
To schedule a ride, call 602-212-6088 or email opas@vosymca.org.
