RICHMOND, Va. -- A Walmart vaccine event at St. Paul's Baptist Church ran like clockwork on Wednesday, according to Charles Morris and Nancy Aguiar.
“From the time I got the call, to getting here today, it was wonderful. The line wasn't long when I got here” Morris said.
They were among the 600 people on the list for the first dose of vaccine at this event.
Another 600 were scheduled for Thursday.
All are pre-registered, so there are no walk ups.
St. Paul's Directional Leader of Outreach Greta Randolph said there was a steady flow of people on Wednesday.
“People have been so gracious and thankful. This is important for us because the more people get vaccinated, the more the world can open up, and the more we can get back to what is normal,” Randolph added.
She said the church’s decision to get involved with vaccine distribution was so important.
They’re working with other churches and partnering with several entities to get the vaccine to the community.
Recipients said they've been a bit anxious in the past several weeks trying to secure an appointment.
Getting this first shot, they believe brings them one step closer to a normal life.
“I miss going out to restaurants. Because you know, seniors we love to go out to eat a little bit.. That's about it,” Morris said.
“I miss being able to gather with friends. Not having to worry about whether I’ll catch something. And not being able to travel,” Aguiar added.
Randolph said their church is committed to helping with the vaccine distribution and could use more volunteers.
Volunteers were making roughly 1,000 calls a week to set up appointments, she said.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can reach out to St. Paul’s Baptist Church on Creighton Road at 804-643-4000.