Together we are making an impact

Volunteers working alongside nurses, doctors, pharmacists, students, and staff are the secret to the success of the Health Sciences Campus (HSC) vaccine clinic. This week the clinic reached the 25,000 doses milestone, but there is still work to do. Many volunteers are long-time residents who appreciate and value the KW community. Collectively, they are committed to helping stamp out this pandemic.

Nadine Parsons, retired public health nurse

“It is a special clinic,” states Nadine Parsons as she describes the HSC vaccine clinic. Nadine would know. She’s been a part of public health initiatives in Waterloo Region for over 29 years.

“I retired from the Region of Public Health 3 and a half years ago.  I worked in Infectious Diseases, Sexual Health and Harm Reduction. Over 29 years of working at the Region, I attended many conferences with Public Health officials speaking and preparing for the next global pandemic. Many speculated that it would be an avian flu. I don’t think anyone thought it would be this deadly Coronavirus. 

I was disappointed I had given up my nursing registration and could not be a part of helping to manage this COVID outbreak. I’d worked all the regions outbreaks from Measles, Meningitis, Group A strep, Hepatitis A, SARS and Influenza. I felt the need to help, so I decided to volunteer at the clinic. I feel so fortunate that I can help in some way to help stamp out this pandemic.  Kitchener Waterloo is a wonderful place to live, and it is so nice to see so many people coming together to help with these clinics.”

Tom Chow, retired pharmacist

“I think this clinic is a classic example of how the collective efforts of a highly-motivated team can come together in a very short period of time and implement a program that can have a very positive impact,” says Tom Chow. Tom and his wife Gayle are retired community pharmacists. They know first-hand the importance of vaccinations.

“Volunteering at the clinic was an opportunity to help in a small way to assist in our community’s fight against the pandemic. Both Gayle and I have found the experience extremely positive and have enriched our own knowledge about the virus. In doing so, we can share some of that knowledge with our friends and neighbours and convey the importance of vaccinations.

In addition to all the professionalism demonstrated at the clinic, I am very impressed with the number of volunteers that come out every week to assist in this worthwhile endeavour! And the continued positive response from the community and patients leaving the clinic reflects their sheer gratitude which is heartwarming!”

The Tennant Family, retired teachers and University of Waterloo (UW) graduate students

“Like many in our region, as a family we like to help out when and where we can,” says Dave Tennant. He, along with his wife Sherri and children, Lia and Ryan, volunteers at the HSC vaccine clinic.

“Sherri and I retired in 2017 from the Waterloo Region District School Board and have expanded our volunteering. We heard the clinic from our son Ryan, who just finished his Masters at UW in Systems Design Engineering and is now starting his PhD in the same program.

Our daughter Lia, currently completing her PhD in Biomechanics at UW, joined the conversation, and we all knew that volunteering at the HSC clinic would be a great way for us to support the vaccine roll-out in our community. 

Our experience has been amazing. The team is so friendly and willing to lend a hand. We’ve met so many great people and have seen familiar faces. It does not seem to matter what the weather throws at them; people have been arriving for their vaccination with kind words and smiles.

It is also reassuring to see how well the immunization effort is going, and inspiring to see everyone working together to help keep our community safe. It is clearly a reflection of our community’s resilience and its support of the science being used to regain control over our wellbeing.”