“Good job,” a parent says, giving people the thumbs up at a pop-up clinic happening at Addi Road this morning. “Really appreciate it, especially after all the hassles trying to get my daughter vaccinated.”
Pfizer shots are being delivered to around 100 people by Aspen Medical Australia. All with little help from the Exodus Foundation, working with Addison Road Community Organisation to get the pop-up clinic down here and happening for ages 12 and up today.
Our local member for Grayndler, Anthony Albanese, has swung by to offer his support for the morning. It’s an important moment in his eyes, part of the many small, but necessary community actions that can make a world of difference to everyone.
In a private conversation with a member of the public, Albo can relate to the parental concerns being voiced. He mentions how his son works at a supermarket, and the natural worries that it brings. It leads to a broader conversation about low-income workers doing a ton of essential work … not only doctors and nurses, but the cleaners and health admin, your local garbos, the people who keep your supermarket open and functioning… so many good people keeping things on an even keel.
Rosanna Babero, Addi Road CEO, and Anthony Albanese, Federal Member for Grayndler welcome Aspen Medical Australia to Marrickville. Photo by Mark Mordue.
Spilling over into the car park, the pop-up Pfizer clinic takes on a field hospital appearance: chairs spread out and socially-distanced; doctors, nurses and health care workers clothed in full PPE moving from patient to seated patient.
But the real ambience is one of camaraderie as people chat freely to one another and fill out their vaccination permission forms in the morning sunshine.
Looking around, it’s a genuine multicultural and multi-generational gathering as parents attend to their children, and adult children watch over their parents.
Albo deals with a press conference to welcome the event as a very positive action in his electorate. Exodus Foundation arrive in a van and set up a table with water, coffee, tea and muffins for people while they wait.
As a thank you to everyone for coming along, Addi Road is giving out loaves of sourdough bread and pastries to take home, as well a free shop at our Food Pantry here in Marrickville.
For today at least, the world seems lighter, less anxious to those who have come here. A woman helps her elderly father to stand and leave. No dizziness. First Pfizer shot done. He’s ok. A young man nearby nursing a baby is next for his shot. A boy rolls up his sleeve.
Generations and different cultural communities coming together as one. We’ll be doing it again at Addi Road.
Aspen Medical Australia pop-up vaccine clinic at Addi Road. Photo by Mark Mordue.