April 6th, 2021
Monroe County Executive Adam Bello and Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren are pleased to announce that eligible City of Rochester residents can now make COVID-19 vaccination appointments over the phone by calling the Monroe County COVID-19 Hotline at (585) 753-5555. Appointments can be made for the four Community Based vaccine clinics in the city of Rochester, which are scheduled to begin this Thursday, April 8. This effort is being assisted by Goodwill of the Finger Lakes and will be available to City of Rochester residents 24-hours a day, 7-days a week.
Last Thursday, County Executive Bello and Mayor Warren joined Community Based Organizations, Faith Based Organizations, community advocates and healthcare providers to announce the establishment of Community Based PODs for the COVID-19 vaccine. The PODs will provide greater equity and access to COVID-19 vaccine appointments for communities in all four neighborhood quadrants of the City of Rochester. The addition of available appointments through the Monroe County COVID-19 hotline will help bridge the digital divide for those who do not have access to the internent. Census data shows that one-fifth of city households are without in home internet, many relying on their cellphone subscriptions for access.
“Bridging the digital divide and providing greater access to COVID-19 vaccinations for our communities in need is critically important as we work vaccinate as many people as possible in Monroe County. We’ve been proud to partner with New York State, the City of Rochester and our Community Based and Faith Based Organizations on equity efforts throughout our vaccination process. This latest step will further commit us to equity efforts and provide more convenient access to vaccine clinics for Rochester residents,” said County Executive Bello.
“Thanks to our partnership with Monroe County, and with the help of our community and faith-based organizations, we are making vaccines available to more people as quickly as possible,” said Mayor Warren. “This effort is vital to protecting our circles and keeping our residents safe. I want to remind everyone that the vaccines are safe and effective, and I encourage everyone who is eligible to make an appointment as soon as possible.”
Residents in targeted zip codes of 14604, 14605, 14606, 14607, 14608, 14609, 14610, 14611, 14613, 14614, 14615, 14619, 14620, 14621, 14622 will have access to COVID-19 vaccination appointments at the four neighborhood PODs over the next three weeks. Vaccination clinics will take place Thursday through Sunday on the following days and at the following locations:
Baber AME: 550 Meigs St, Rochester, NY 14607
- Thursday, April 8
- Thursday, April 15
Memorial AME Zion: 549 Clarissa St, Rochester, NY 14608
- Friday, April 9
- Friday, April 16
Greater Harvest Baptist Church: 121 Driving Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14613
- Friday, April 23
Jackson R-Center: 485 N. Clinton Ave, Rochester NY 14605
- Saturday, April 10
- Saturday, April 17
Edgerton R-Center: 41 Backus St, Rochester, NY 14608
- Sunday, April 11
- Sunday, April 18
- Sunday, April 25
Ryan R-Center: 530 Webster Ave, Rochester, NY 14609
- Saturday, April 24
Location TBD
- Thursday, April 22
“I’ve witnessed firsthand the commitment from our county and community leaders to get every person in our region vaccinated in a safe and equitable way. Many people in Rochester can go online and book their vaccine appointments, but there are also many people without internet access, and they deserve vaccines just as much as anyone else. That's why Goodwill has partnered with Monroe County to support its COVID Hotline. We can also connect callers who have additional needs with our 211/LIFE LINE information and referral or crisis counseling services. This team is committed to playing a part in getting our neighbors vaccinated, which is critically important to our entire community,” added Jennifer Lake, President and CEO of Goodwill of the Finger Lakes.
“While scheduling over the internet works for many residents, many who live in the City of Rochester have limited access to tools that support that process such as reliable internet access and home computers. This has been a limiting factor in getting immunizations to communities of color and other folks from disadvantaged neighborhoods," said Albert Blankley, Chief Operating Officer for Common Ground Health. "The telephone COVID-19 hotline and localized vaccine clinics will make getting a COVID-19 shot easier and more convenient for those most at risk from the virus."
Additional appointments are available now, and can be made through the Monroe County website, www.monroecounty.gov or through the following participating Community Based Organizations – United Way of Greater Rochester, Ibero American Action League, Lifespan, Person Centered Housing Strategies, Refugees Helping Refugees, and Community Health Worker Association.
