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COVID-19 Vaccinations Continue at LightHouse Headquarters for Next Four Fridays
LightHouse News

COVID-19 Vaccinations Continue at LightHouse Headquarters for Next Four Fridays

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Photo Caption: Close up image of a group of sealed glass bottles containing the vaccine

On Friday, April 16 LightHouse’s San Francisco headquarters will once again be open for people in the Bay Area who are blind or have low vision, anyone who has a disability and their caregivers to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

You will need to make an appointment by calling 628-652-2700.

  • When you call this number, you will be asked for some basic personal information, your healthcare provider details and will be given an appointment time.
  • You do not have to share proof of your disability
  • This line is open and staffed from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm Monday to Friday. Voicemail messages can be left for a callback outside of these hours. This line is available to speakers of both Spanish and English.
  • Other language interpreters are available once you leave a voicemail requesting a callback.

Please Note: if you have not registered using this method, you will not be able to get the vaccine at this site.

Dates

April 16, 23, 30 and May 7, 2021

Address

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired – San Francisco headquarters

1155 Market Street

10th floor

San Francisco, CA 94103

Phone Number

The number to register is 628-652-2700.

Getting to Your Appointment

The LightHouse Headquarters is located on 1155 Market Street between 7th and 8th streets.

Below are a couple of ways to get financial assistance to get to your vaccination appointment.

  1. Free taxi rides to vaccination appointments through the Essential Trip Card program.

If you are signed up for San Francisco’s low-cost taxi program for seniors (65+) and people with disabilities called the Essential Trip Card, you can get to your vaccine appointment for free with the help of Community Living Campaign (CLC). Every program participant gets one additional $60 vaccine allotment, and CLC can pay your share if you ask. Just call San Francisco Paratransit at 415-351-7000 and let them know you’d like to use your vaccine allotment, and that you’d like support from CLC. CLC will cover your $12, so you’ll get $60 on your card without paying a cent.

Not signed up for the Essential Trip Card yet? No problem. Call 311 between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, and tell them you want to sign up. Say you’re interested in financial help from Community Living Campaign for your vaccine appointment, and you’ll have $60 on your taxi card when you get it in the mail, with no money out of your pocket.

  1. $50 Lyft Vouchers for Vaccine Access for Seniors 60+, Adults with Disabilities, and Caregivers

Community Living Campaign is also giving away $50 Lyft vouchers for trips to vaccination appointments for San Francisco residents 60 and older, residents with disabilities, and caregivers. Individuals must have the Lyft app on their smartphone to use the voucher. Offer valid while voucher supplies last. (Individuals who receive services in San Francisco but live outside of the city may also be eligible.) To inquire about a voucher, contact Cathy DeLuca at 415-638-9183 or cathy@sfcommunityliving.org.

People using Rideshare apps like Lyft and Uber will need to enter 676 Stevenson Street as the destination into the app. This address is for the rear entrance of 1155 Market Street.

Using Public Transit

The closest public transit is the Civic Center BART station. The only exits open currently are those on the United Nations Plaza side. The closest bus stops are Jones and 6th and Orpheum Theater.

What Happens Once You Arrive?

LightHouse will have volunteers available to meet people outside the front and rear entrances of 1155 Market Street. They will then guide you to the lobby where your information will be checked. All volunteers will practice social distancing and will be wearing masks.

Surfaces will be frequently and regularly disinfected (with Safer Choice products made and sold by the LightHouse).

The number of people who can ride an elevator at the same time will be restricted to a designated number by the site manager.

Once on the 10th floor, another group of friendly volunteers will show you where to wait for your vaccination.

After your injection, you will wait for 15 minutes before being shown back to the lobby and out of the building. Volunteers will be available to help locate Rideshares if required.

For further information, read the Vaccine FAQs from SF.gov.

LightHouse is proud to be able to offer our headquarters as a central, easy, and welcoming location for our extended community to get their vaccinations.

LightHouse Staff Shares Her Experience Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine at LightHouse
LightHouse News

LightHouse Staff Shares Her Experience Receiving the COVID-19 Vaccine at LightHouse

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As I hopped out of my Lyft at 7th and Market Street and turned the corner toward the LightHouse headquarters in San Francisco, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It had been months, nearly a year since I’d last entered this building. As I reached for the door handle of the front entrance, I was welcomed in by a friendly face. The man asked kindly, “Here for the clinic?” to which I replied, “Absolutely!”

After being directed towards the elevators I stepped in and pressed the button for the 10th floor. The door opened to the familiar sound of the automated announcer, “10th floor, LightHouse Main Reception.” I stepped into the lobby and was greeted by friendly, masked volunteers. I looked around and noted the many people in line, spaced at a safe distance apart from one another, patiently awaiting their turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

When I joined the line, a nurse approached me and asked my name and birthdate. She found my vaccination card in the stack of other names scheduled to be vaccinated that day. She assisted me in filling out a pre-vaccine medical form. (Do I have any allergies? Have I received any vaccines within the past 14 days? Etc.) After completing the form, I waited for my turn to be taken into Multipurpose Room B, where there were three vaccination stations set up.

When it was my turn, I was directed to the available station. I rolled up my left sleeve as a very kind and friendly nurse walked me through the process. I turned my cheek away from my left shoulder as I received the vaccine. (Needles make me queasy!)

When I sat down in the post-vaccine waiting area adjacent to the vaccination stations, it hit me. For two years I would come to this building every day. Working with the blind community, my community, has always been important and enjoyable for me. On March 13, 2020 we were told that LightHouse would be closed for two weeks due to the onset of COVID-19 cases increasing in the area. Two weeks turned into 56 weeks (and counting) and the “increasing number of COVID-19 cases” turned into a global pandemic. Through the past thirteen months of confusion, devastation, and fear, here I was, one year later in the same place where I had first learned of the severity of this disease, receiving the COVID-19 vaccination. It was emotional. It was hopeful. It was a triumph. The experience felt surreal.

I want to express my sincere gratitude to all the nurses, volunteers, and all of those responsible for giving LightHouse the opportunity to become a vaccination site. With the help and coordination of many LightHouse and San Francisco Public Health employees, I am proud to say that not only was I vaccinated, but the nonprofit I work for, the work in which I hold so dear, was able to provide yet another accessible and vitally important service to our community.

LightHouse Volunteers Can Help Schedule Vaccination Appointments
LightHouse News

LightHouse Volunteers Can Help Schedule Vaccination Appointments

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If you need support in completing any forms or navigating websites in order to schedule your COVID-19 vaccination appointment, please reach out to LightHouse and we’ll pair you with a volunteer to assist you in completing these documents. We have volunteers on hand who will be able to assist you in your appointment scheduling needs. Reach out to our Volunteer Services Team at 415-694-7320 or volunteer@lighthouse-sf.org.

Please note: LightHouse volunteers are not health experts and they cannot answer any questions about the vaccine itself or its health implications. If you have questions about the vaccine and your health, please contact your doctor.

In addition to helping students access vaccine appointment signups, LightHouse offers a variety of volunteer services. As Allyson Ferrari, Volunteer Manager puts it, “While we continue to shelter in place, we have volunteers volunteering in place! We do still have committed volunteers who can help you with whatever support you may need.”

And if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer yourself, check out the Volunteer at LightHouse webpage.