Ashley Eschrich, a Bradford Area High School Health Teacher currently on sabbatical, has some time on her hands. She has seen a lot of confusion and uncertainty, both in scheduling an appointment to get the COVID-19 vaccine and about the vaccination itself. Her goal is to help.
“In trying to schedule a vaccine appointment for my mother, who is 65 with underlying health conditions, I found it to be exceedingly difficult and frustrating navigating the vaccine scheduling process,” Eschrich said. “I then realized that I was not alone, others were having the same shared experience. So, I began my research on vaccine distribution, scheduling, etc. and determined that there was something that I could do to help others and hopefully alleviate some of their stress.”
Eschrich has utilized a resource she uses for her high school students to provide information to the community.
“As a Health and Physical Education teacher (at BAHS) I have used this incredibly useful tool, Padlet, which is a virtual bulletin board, with my students. I decided to create this virtual bulletin board to help provide our local community with one place for comprehensive and the most up-to-date information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and help people navigate the vaccination process,” Eschrich explained.
Padlet allows Eschrich to bring together multiple resources and points of information in one location and hopefully make it easier for those who have questions to find the answers. The site created by Eschrich, which is regularly updated, provides access to CDC and Pennsylvania Department of Health information, as well as various other tidbits related to COVID-19 and the vaccine availability.
“My hope is that this virtual bulletin board is educational, motivational, inspirational, supportive and will be a collaborative community resource with networking opportunities,” Eschrich said.
There are numerous ways to access the site.
Eschrich has posted flyers around Bradford that offer a QR code, which can be used by opening your phone’s camera and focusing it on the code. The link provided by the QR code, which can also be typed in, is https://padlet.com/bahs_healthandfitnessjunkie/SleeveUpBradfordPA.
For those who prefer Instagram, Eschrich has created one for this effort: @giving.bradfordians.a.shot.
If email is an easier route, Eschrich can be contacted at giving.bradfordians.a.shot@gmail.com. Although Eschrich doesn’t give shots literally, she is hoping to help those who want to receive a vaccine to connect with the information and access to waiting lists they may have difficulty obtaining otherwise.
For those who don’t use the internet, Eschrich has created a phone number through Google Voice that, while it is an Olean, N.Y., number, allows callers to contact Eschrich on her cell phone. The number is 1-716-379-3497. The number also has a voicemail so Eschrich can get back to anyone who calls when she is unable to answer.
Eschrich has done extensive research on COVID-19 and the vaccine for her own benefit. After obtaining the information she has accumulated, she decided the community could benefit from her energy, time and access to resources. Hence, the virtual bulletin board was born.
Eschrich has been working on this project with a few close friends, testing the phone number and making sure things are easily understood.
A visit to the Padlet site Eschrich created shares her backstory for the project. A statement explains, “The COVID-19 vaccine is available, but only to those that know how to navigate the system. It has been challenging for many to get a COVID-19 vaccine that want to and are eligible.
“To find vaccine providers and register it may also require calling places that just send you in circles. So, as many of our community members are elderly, lack internet access, lack transportation, and/or are facing other barriers to vaccination, we want to help and make it as easy as possible for those in our community to be vaccinated.”
Eschrich’s goal is to “Spread Hope, not COVID-19.” With that in mind, Eschrich’s goal is expressed via the hashtag, #SleeveUpBradfordPA.
Ultimately, she hopes to provide the information so that, even if someone does not need the bulletin board themselves, they can direct someone else to the resource if asked. By doing so, we can share hope as well.
“For some, these vaccines offer a shot of hope for them to get the chance to finally hug their loved ones again. For all of us, these vaccines offer a shot of hope for the pandemic,” Eschrich said. “We all need to be sure to be mindful and not overlook that wherever there is a human in need, there is an opportunity for kindness. And the world needs kindness now, more than ever.”
