A church in Hayward opened as a new mobile vaccination site on Sunday in conjunction with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Glad Tidings church is working to get vaccines out to the surrounding community. Congressman Eric Swalwell was in attendance at the site for its opening.
"Finding center points, especially in the faith-based community like that," Swalwell told KCBS Radio, "that is really important."
Members of the church were glad to have the opportunity to get vaccinated, and felt reassured by the fact that other people in their community were getting vaccines too.
Congressman Swalwell discussed how important it is to have smaller vaccination sites available in communities that have historically "been ignored or have had, rightfully, their own concerns about vaccines."
Bishop Jerry Macklin is the pastor of Glad Tidings, which is a predominately African American church, said it makes a difference when a church opens its doors to the community.
Some people who may have been apprehensive about getting a vaccine before changed their mind "when they knew it was at the church," he said. "People just start pouring in."
