McKinney, Texas -- After more than 50,000 shots given since late December, the City of McKinney Fire Department (MFD) phased out operations at their vaccination hub at the McKinney ISD Stadium & Community Event Center at the end of April. But their efforts to vaccinate the community didn’t end there. They shifted their focus to ensure the equitable distribution of the vaccine by reaching out to the underserved population, specifically those within the Black and Hispanic neighborhoods and the city’s homeless population.

MFD worked closely with local pastors of minority churches, including Pastor Louis Rosenthal of The McKinney First Baptist Church. Pastor Rosenthal spoke from his pulpit about his decision to get vaccinated, posted educational information for his parishioners, and encouraged members of his church to receive the vaccine from the McKinney Fire Department at special vaccine outreach events for their church community. The Fire Department has since vaccinated 1,300 people who fall into the underserved population using this special outreach model. Today was their final outreach clinic.

MFD also worked closely with the McKinney Police Department, which brought willing members of the homeless population to the vaccination site to be vaccinate.