“’I’ve always depended on the kindness of strangers.’”- Dr. George Lombardi.

After volunteering at one of Malteser International Americas’ (MI Americas) vaccination clinics in the Spring of 2021, Dr. George Lombardi discussed some of the salient life lessons that he has accumulated as a doctor over the course of thirty years. From investigating infectious diseases in Kenya to researching contagious pathogens in Missouri, his resume is a collage of idiosyncratic projects, each of which has ingrained in him valuable life lessons. Reflecting on his past, he highlights one lesson that stood out to him: helping people from all walks of life. Whether he is tending his own patients in his office or helping strangers in one of MI Americas’ vaccination clinics, his goal of improving people’s lives, regardless of where they come from, remains constant.

Dr. Lombardi’s intrinsic drive to help people is a common theme evident to many of the volunteers that were recently involved in MI Americas’ COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the St. Francis Cathedral on West 31st Street in Manhattan. The project is part of MI Americas’ goal to protect the vulnerable homeless population in New York City from contracting the deadly virus.

As people started to form a queue outside the church steps, MI Americas’ volunteers got to work, going down the line to register any individual interested in receiving the one-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Promoting a one-dose vaccine to the  homeless population is crucial – two-dose vaccines require additional planning and logistics for the second dose, an obstacle for individuals who are constantly on the move.

Over the course of the morning, more and more people flocked to MI Americas’ emblematic red tent to receive their shot. In response to growing demand, our volunteers quickly began to jot down patients’ information, guiding them step-by-step through the traditional vaccination registration process. For those who did not understand or speak English, MI Americas’ bilingual volunteers were on call, ready to help translate any information.

Once the paperwork was properly completed, our volunteers would direct them to the vaccination tent where a trained professional would safely deliver a COVID-19 shot. From start to finish, the entire vaccination process took less than five minutes. Moreover, the shot was delivered behind screen protectors to protect their privacy.

Projects like these are essential to limit the spread of the disease among the homeless population, one of the most vulnerable groups in the city. Many of those that participated in the clinic do not have access to basic healthcare services and have dangerous pre-existing medical conditions that put them at a heightened risk of contracting COVID-19.

Directly after the event at St. Francis, volunteers took the 3 train uptown to set up shop inside ArchCare’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) clinic in East Harlem. At PACE, MI Americas and its partner ArchCare, staged a second event to help vaccinate people from the neighborhood. Many of those vaccinated in this event had set up appointments with the clinic months in advance. Others were simply walk-ins that, thanks to our volunteers’ enthusiasm and can-do attitude, were convinced of the benefits of vaccination and agreed to get their COVID-19 shot at the clinic. Over the course of the day, dozens of New York locals were safely vaccinated.

As the afternoon came to an end, MI Americas and its partners were able to get hundreds of people vaccinated. Moving forward, MI Americas will continue to dedicate its resources to hosting similar projects across NYC aimed at reducing the spread of the disease in vulnerable and underserved communities.

This article was written by our Spring intern Pablo Vargas. Pablo is a rising senior at NYU’s Stern School of Business.