Official Goes To Senior Housing To Sign Up Elderly For Vaccine

EAST HAVEN, CT —It's a full court press in East Haven to get those who are currently eligible vaccinated against COVID-19.

Town assistant director of administration Michelle Benivegna last week visited Woodview Apartments to sign residents up for the vaccine.

She noted that Mayor Joseph A. Carfora's "administration is dedicated to assisting those at highest risk get their appointments," while saying that the online registration process has been "very difficult" for some seniors to navigate.

"There should be no reason for someone not to get this vaccine," she wrote on Facebook, adding that she and will be visiting other elderly housing complexes in the coming weeks to assist them make their appointments.

"Together East Haven, we will crush COVID-19 and get back to healthy and normal living," she said.

Monday, Benivegna again posted to social media after visiting "our neighbors on Messina Drive," at East Farm Village Apartments. Benivegna said within an hour, she had scheduled vaccine appointmentsfor 30 people.

"Now they don't have to worry; they're all set with their appointments for the vaccine and their second shot follow-up," she told Patch.

"Some people have been worried. Some haven't really seen anyone for a while," she said, adding she'd brought little goodie bags stuffed with masks, anti-bacterial hand wipes and other things for the elderly she met with, including a 103-year-old woman who survived the Spanish Flu a century ago and expects to survive this pandemic.

"The pandemic stopped our world but also, a lot of positivity came from it," she said, agreeing that sometimes the worst brings out the best. "It's really neighbors helping neighbors," she said.

"Meeting people in their (apartment complex) community room, one lady had tears in her eyes. Those are the moments you don't get when you're on the phone and that's one reason why I'm out here."

Benivegna was tasked by Carfora with "running point" and working with East Shore District Health Department to get the East Haven vaccine clinics up and running. Her job also encompasses overseeing the volunteers who are vital to running the successful clinics and outreach.

"We had to get out there to the people who need the vaccine but had trouble trying to do it online, with email or by phone," she said.

Benivegna said there's a vaccine clinic Wednesday at CT Hospice in Branford, Fridat at the senior center and Saturday at Lakeview Plaza, unless weather cancels any of them; a storm is predicted for Thursday and Friday.

One area with which Benivegna is most concerned is reaching the Latino community in East Haven.

"East Haven has a very diverse population. Many are blue collar workers, working several jobs with families, in some cases multiple families residing in one home. We really need to get the word out to those who are perhaps hesitant to have their names in a database, or concerned that they need a photo ID. We want all the people of East Haven to be able to get the vaccine. The whole population," she said.

A flyer written in both English and Spanish is being circulated in town and through East Haven Public Schools.

After a day of outreach, when Benivegna returned to her office in Town Hall, she and other mayoral staffers had some 100 phone calls to respond to. And all were returned, she said, and "everyone of those" were people needing information on the vaccine.

"I'm very proud of what we've done," she said. And we'll keep on doing what we have to do. The only way were going to beat COVID is to get vaccinated. And we will beat it."

Benivegna said the mayor's office has a dedicated line just for those currently eligible, ages 65 and up, to get help scheduling a vaccine. Call 203-468-3191 if you need assistance, she said.