Thomasville church holds MLK Day vaccine clinic

THOMASVILLE, Ga. (WCTV) - Dozens of people turned out to get vaccinated on Monday in South Georgia.

While many marched in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., First Missionary Baptist Church chose to honor him and his vision by making healthcare accessible to the community.

Reverend Jeremy G. Rich says Monday’s clinic is a testament to what Dr. King dreamed about.

In its sixth vaccine clinic, the church offered first, second and booster shots for everyone eligible, aged five and older.

Rev. Rich says he believes it’s the church’s duty to be a resource to the community and seeing people of all ages and all walks of life take advantage of the opportunity assures him they’re doing the right thing.

“One of the things I believe is very important is if we listen to the heartbeat of the community, we can find out the needs of the community and better address those needs,” Rev. Rich said.

“Folks that would never feel comfortable going to a hospital but feel very safe coming here. You’ve served people who are homeless have felt comfortable coming here. Your parishioners,” added community volunteer Alston Watt.

Each participant was given hand sanitizer and goodie bags for getting vaccinated.

Anyone that received their first or second dose were encouraged to visit Archbold’s vaccine clinics for their next shot.

Rev. Rich says he’s been seeing the numbers decrease a little since the church’s first vaccine clinic but shared that since February of last year, the church has helped vaccinate 300 to 400 people.

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