Description
People over Sixty-five or elderly in Chicopee in Public Housing have no transportation to vaccine sites, no computers for many or cell phones to have proof of appointments or printers. Why not give vaccines at the Chicopee Health Center or Elderly Community Center and send flyers to the Director of Housing in Chicopee to alert the elderly when the vaccine will be available for example last names starting A to C then C to F then G to J and so on? People over sixty five are in the dark.
also asked...
A. Dear Board of Health and Officers of Chicopee Government I am one of a few seniors that do have a computer. Most in my community living in Housing for the Elderly and Disabled do not never mind cell phones to save appointment data. Most that I know, are going to forgo the vaccine as it is far too difficult to acquire much less to travel to as we are frail, cannot take transit systems, and have no family. Stories of people waiting outside in the cold are not attractive even if they can get to the site. And those over sixty-five are not included with those over seventy-five yet the same risk exists. Each town has a Community Health Center. In my town, it is called the Chicopee Health Center on Front Street, Chicopee. And in most towns, you have an Elderly senior center. Why can you not distribute vaccines to these two sites for the elderly? Why not have the Department of Public Health send teams to Elderly Housing sites? I see you on TV and you do not mention any of this at all. It is as if we are invisible to you. You could contact Mayor View, in Chicopee and give him dates and times the elderly over sixty-five can be vaccinated at the aforementioned sites or Housing for Elderly. I can safely tell you, most seniors here at the Housing Authority rub my Monica Blazic, Director, have truly given up all hope. You could easily send her a notification to arrange a visiting nurse team to vaccinate us or send them to the Community Health centers or Elderly community centers. Chicopee, Holyoke, So Hadly have all been ignored. Most of us have no cars, computers, or expensive cell phones. If you contact the Mayor and is Blazic they can send flyers out to the elderly so we could get vaccinated and not wait in the cold. People over sixty-five along with those over seventy-five are at a huge risk and disadvantage. Will you please act on this, Governor Baker? Please just do this? Thank you, Keith Aldrige
11 Comments
Chicopee, MA (Verified Official)
M C (Verified Official)
local resident (Registered User)
Keith, You should call your city councilor. (info below/ link below) Or better yet call the Mayor, That's what he's there for.
From what I can see you're in Ward 4? This is an Issue (especially in ward 5) city wide, Only 1 city councilor is actively involved on this platform and that's a disgrace.
https://www.sec.state.ma.us/wheredoivotema//bal/myelectioninfo.aspx
George Balakier
Ward Councilors
Title: Ward 4 Councilor
Phone: 413-594-8137
Email
Please respond back and let us know if you made any progress.
Councilor Courchesne Ward 7 (Registered User)
local resident (Registered User)
Councilor Courchesne to the rescue as always.
Keith, you are not forgotten and you are not being Ignored. Councilor Courchesne will see to that!! Keep being a squeaky wheel, speak up and continue to speak up. Squeaky wheels get grease.
Councilor Courchesne. who's at the next level handling the roll out of the vaccine for our city?
#CouncilorCourchesneForMayor
Councilor Courchesne Ward 7 (Registered User)
local resident (Registered User)
Lisa Sanders (Verified Official)
Good afternoon Mr. Alridge,
We are currently in Phase 2 Step 1, which is includes those eligible in phase 1 and also those 75 and older. The City of Chicopee is currently working on having vaccination clinics for those that are eligible. This is a monumental task as there are protocols and procedures that must be followed.
Please rest assured that we are working and doing our best to get the clinic up and running.
Lisa
Keith (Registered User)
Thanks so much for caring enough to reply and work on this.
Keth Aldrige
Lisa Sanders (Verified Official)
I would encourage those seeking to get vaccinated to contact the Council on Aging ( 413) 534-3698 and have their names placed on a list. We will definitely make the public aware of any clinics that we will have in the city. Please be mindful in that we may get small batches of the vaccine in at a time.
Thank you for being an advocate for others!
Keith (Registered User)
Most Sincerely,
Keith Aldrige