Mayor Johnson, Uber, Project Unity team up to give out free rides to COVID-19 vaccine site
DALLAS — Mayor Eric Johnson and Uber Technologies have partnered on a new initiative to provide free rides to COVID-19 vaccination sites.
Uber will provide 2,000 promo codes for rides to Project Unity, a nonprofit that has been working on vaccination efforts, at Mayor Johnson's request. The rides are intended to help people who have transportation challenges.
Project Unity, in partnership with Catalyst Health Network, is hosting a vaccination event on Friday, April 2, at St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church. The nonprofit will administer doses of the Pfizer vaccine to those who make appointments through its website at projectunity.net/together-we-vaccinate/
The St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church site, unlike the City's drive-through vaccination hub at The Potter's House, is a walk-up site, allowing Uber drivers to pick up and drop off people without needing to wait in line.
"We are finally nearing the end of the COVID-19 pandemic with the help of these vaccines," Mayor Johnson said. "But as the supply increases, it is more critical than ever that we work to overcome barriers to vaccination so that we can inoculate as many Dallas residents as possible against this terrible virus. And that effort is made possible by partners such as Uber and Project Unity, which have both stepped up to ensure our communities have equitable access to life-saving vaccines."
Beginning this week, all Texans age 16 and older are now eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine.
Richie Butler, Project Unity's founder and the Senior Pastor at St. Luke "Community" United Methodist Church, has been focused in recent months on registration and vaccination efforts for underserved communities.
"Together We Vaccinate comes at a critical time when state and federal data show that minority groups are being vaccinated at far below the rates of mostly white, wealthy communities," Pastor Butler said. "Neighborhood-based vaccination sites are needed to offer vaccinations to residents who are unable to travel to larger hubs, who need extra care and attention than can be provided at large drive-throughs, or who may wish to talk to a health care professional in person about their concerns – all of which Together We Vaccinate offers to prospective vaccine recipients."
Uber, which has offices in Deep Ellum, has previously partnered with the mayor's office to distribute free meals to first responders and healthcare workers through its Uber Eats platform.
“We are proud to support the City of Dallas and Project Unity’s efforts to significantly boost access to COVID-19 vaccines by providing transportation to and from vaccine appointments,” said Chris Miller, Sr. Manager of Public Affairs at Uber. “Throughout this pandemic we’ve maintained operations to provide essential services to the people of Dallas and have taken multiple steps to help ensure that safety is at the heart of everything we’ve done. This is just the latest effort in our ongoing commitment to provide communities we serve with support they need during this unprecedented time."
For more information on the City's COVID-19 vaccination efforts, visit DallasCityHall.com/coronavirus. To learn more about Project Unity, visit ProjectUnity.net.
####
|
