With the Mission’s Maine island Covid-19 vaccination clinics very much in the news, we wanted to also share the story of two companion vaccination clinics at our Community Center in Cherryfield. Held in partnership with the Maine Mobile Health Program (MMHP) and Mano en Mano, the first clinic was on April 12. The second clinic was May 13. All told, 112 people received their Covid-19 vaccinations at these two events.
Lisa Tapert, Maine Mobile Health Program CEO, said, “Community members in [the Downeast] area have faced challenges accessing vaccine appointments through the large vaccination sites. And there aren’t too many of those sites close to this area.”
The Mission was happy to say yes to MMHP’s request to use our Downeast Community Center as home base for the clinics. We appreciate MMHP offering health care access to our community members, and we look forward to helping reach future area health goals.
Our Zoom Open Mic sessions end soon. For a few months now, on Wednesday’s, 6 to 8 pm, we gather online to play and listen to music. It is a Covid adaptation of the Open Mic events we held live in colder months at our Weald Bethel Community Center in Cherryfield.
Art and I and a handful of regulars join in every week to listen. Art sets his computer on his kitchen table and putters while listening. So does Alane. I find it entertaining to watch them move about, doing their thing. A few of us eat while watching. When he’s not playing guitar, Scott sometimes plays cribbage.
What started as a handful of regulars grew to 14 households joining online. Lots of smiling faces on the computer screen. Not being limited by our Downeast location was a pleasant surprise.
George, Lynne, and John each joined and played from different spots in Florida. Linda Zoomed in from Northern VA. Steve’s high school friend from Portland, OR sang last week. My nephew watched from NH. Josh set up a stage at his place with fancy blinking lights. His family participated from various ME locations. Before Josh headed to tree plant in PA, his own crowd and fan club was online for his exit performance.
My extended Family from Easthampton, MA – including Chris and Jim – have been regular audience members. Chris is my brother-in-love’s sister. I usually only see them at Thanksgiving dinners. It has been wonderful getting to know them better while singing their folk song duets and Beatles covers. My friend Art said, “I’m going to miss Chris and Jim when our Zoom Open Mics end this month.” I know exactly what he means. Maybe they will visit Cherryfield when our Open Mic is in-person again. I hope so.
To be sure, Open Mic via Zoom has its limitations on sound quality. Scott Shaw, and my partner, Steve, oversee the live Open Mic events. They have spent hours trying to figure out the sweet spots within Zoom.
Weak internet connections can make performers volumes drop out for a second. Or if their sound is too busy or full it starts clipping.
But all that matters not so much. We were glad to support each other and hear live music. We all pretty quickly accepted the reduced sound quality, because the heart in the song always comes through.
It’s Thank you Thursday. Today’s shout out of Mission love goes to the Maine Mobile Health Program based in Augusta. MMHP is Maine’s only farmworker health organization.
“Community members in [the Downeast] area have faced challenges accessing vaccine appointments through the large vaccination sites. And there aren’t too many of those sites close to this area,” said MMHP CEO Lisa Tapert.
The Mission was happy to say yes to MMHP’s request to use our Downeast Community Center in Cherryfield as a base for a Covid-19 vaccination clinic. MMHP brought the clinic to the area in collaboration with Mission partner Mano en Mano out of Milbridge.
The Mission appreciates MMHP offering health care access to our community members. And we look forward to helping reach future area health goals. This is what community looks like.
CHERRYFIELD, ME — Power in partnership. A huge thank-you to our community volunteers, the Maine Seacoast Mission, Maine Mobile Health Program, and Maine DHHS for making this possible. At last week’s Community Vaccine Clinic 58 people received vaccines, access to interpreters, and some tasty treats.
If you have any questions or are interested in attending a vaccine clinic in the future, please contact Juan Jose at: 207-210-1997.
federalnewsnetwork.com BUSINESS NEWS Boat, snowmobile, camel: Vaccine reaches world’s far corners By DAVID SHARP – April 7, 2021 1:06 am
PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — After enduring 40-knot winds and freezing sea spray, jostled health care providers arrived wet and cold on two Maine islands in the North Atlantic late last month to conduct coronavirus vaccinations.
As they came ashore on Little Cranberry Island, population 65, residents danced with excitement.
“It’s a historic day for the island,” said Kaitlyn Miller, who joined a friend in belting out “I’m not giving away my shot!” from the Broadway show Hamilton when the crew arrived.
freepressonline.com from Offshore: Does Pete Buttigieg Have a Workday Like This? by Eva Murray – Tuesday, April 6, 2021 8:53 AM
Last Thursday was also the date scheduled for most winter islanders to get their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The crew from the Maine Seacoast Mission and the public health nurses were scheduled to fly out to administer the vaccine, but with a rainstorm expected on the planned day, that was a no-go. They scrambled to contact the whole list of people and move the event ahead a day. This change required they get to and from Monhegan by boat Wednesday morning, up the peninsula and over to the airport in Owls Head, and to then make the trip to Matinicus by air to vaccinate roughly 30 grateful people in the afternoon — and to get off the island before being stuck here by weather.
Eva Murray lives, works and writes on Matinicus Island. Full story
