A night of appreciation for Kitsap County’s vaccine volunteers
Peninsula Community Health Services CEO Jennifer Kreidler-Moss (left) and Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson.
In late 2020, when the COVID-19 vaccine first became available to the public under an emergency authorization, Kitsap County’s healthcare community mobilized to figure out how to distribute as many vaccines as possible to as many people as possible. A diverse group of volunteers, businesses, nonprofits, healthcare organizations and government agencies jumped in to help.
The results over the past year have been impressive: More than 590 Medical Reserve Corps volunteers served at vaccination sites throughout Kitsap County, logging nearly 20,000 volunteer hours, according to the Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management. At least 36 different healthcare organizations have administered COVID-19 vaccines, and those organizations have collectively given more than 450,000 COVID-19 doses.
On April 20, we were proud to join members of the Kitsap healthcare community for an event honoring all of the volunteers who helped our collective efforts succeed to such a degree.
At the event, Peninsula Community Health Services (PCHS) CEO Jennifer Kreidler-Moss recognized Kitsap Transit’s contributions to the vaccination efforts, including our donation of space at the Gateway Center in West Bremerton for use as a vaccination site.
“We became an agency that figured out that people just need to be served wherever they are in the moment, and recently it happens to be at a transit center,” Kreidler-Moss said.
Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson (left) and Peninsula Community Health Services CEO Jennifer Kreidler-Moss.
Kitsap Transit also supported the county-wide vaccination push by holding vaccine clinics in our ferries and at transit centers, offering free bus rides to and from clinics, and distributing more than 3,400 vouchers for free bus and ferry passes to incentivize people to get vaccinated.
“We appreciate it from the bottom of our heart, and our entire community owes Kitsap Transit some part of this vaccine project,” Kreidler-Moss said.
Kitsap Transit Executive Director John Clauson highlighted the efforts of volunteers as well as County Commissioner Ed Wolfe and Health Officer Dr. Gib Morrow for helping to support the clinics at Gateway. Clauson said he himself got vaccinated by PCHS staff.
“Whichever ones of you that were there when I came in, thank you very much because you treated me extremely well,” Clauson said.
The last year has been a true community effort: Kitsap Transit played just a small part in helping our neighbors access vaccine clinics. Thanks to the collective efforts of many, 77.5% of all residents have initiated vaccination – more than 211,000 people – and 70% have completed their primary series.
We want to send a big heartfelt thank you to the Kitsap Public Health District, Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Peninsula Community Health Services, Kitsap County, and especially all of the volunteers who donated their time and energy to running the clinics, giving the shots and helping keep our community safe.
