The search to become vaccinated against COVID-19 has become a bit more desperate for some after Gov. Greg Abbott announced that he was canceling the state’s coronavirus mitigation efforts. While vaccination hubs are still working their way through the lists of prioritized residents in groups 1A and 1B, volunteering at a vaccination site may get you a dose.
Dallas County is accepting volunteers at the Fair Park COVID Vaccine Mega Center to fill several roles. They are needed to help residents who have arrived for their scheduled vaccine. Others are asked to direct people around the site to the correct building or door. There is a need for handling paperwork, directing cars, and many other responsibilities, as needed. (You also may get to drive a golf cart.) Cell phones are required to check in and out with QR codes. Bilingual volunteers are also required to handle the same responsibilities. The county also needs medical volunteers who can help with the vaccinations through the Dallas County Medical Reserve Corps.
Volunteers must be 18 years old and available for three to five hours in a morning (7:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.), afternoon (12:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m.), or during shift change (11 a.m. to 2 p.m.). At least 50 volunteers are needed for every shift, and a total of 40,000 volunteers will be required between now and May. Operations run between Monday and Saturday.
If spots are full, volunteers can also sign up to be put on a waitlist for future shifts and may be called on the day of if there is a need for more volunteers. So far, more than 2,000 volunteers have covered 6,000 volunteer shifts at Fair Park. In the five weeks of operation (the site was closed during the winter storm), 32,000 volunteer hours have been logged at the site.
Volunteers are not guaranteed a vaccination. But those who have spent at least 15 hours working at the site are eligible to receive a shot if there are extra doses at the end of the day that will spoil, according to the county.
Learn more about volunteer opportunities, dates, times, and responsibilities here.
