Longboat Key couple lends a helping vaccine hand

Jay and Sally Steele, a 79-year-old married couple who live in the Sarasota County portion of Longboat Key, know they were lucky when they got their COVID-19 vaccine appointments. They were on the computer at the right time, and Jay smashed the button at the right moment.

But not everyone has been so lucky. 

By Feb. 5, the Steeles had received both of their COVID-19 shots, and now they’re trying to help more of their friends, neighbors and fellow Temple Emanu-el congregants get inoculated as well. The couple is leading a committee at their Sarasota temple to help seniors register for the vaccine in Manatee and Sarasota counties.

Along the way, though, they're finding a wave of other vaccine searchers. In Sarasota County alone, about 150,000 residents are eligible. 

"So there's really quite a lot of competition,” Sally said. 

At Temple Emanu-el, Rabbi Elaine Glickman’s husband, Brenner Glickman, approached the couple, who had already gotten their first shot. The Steeles are reasonably computer-savvy, so Glickman asked them to put together a committee to help congregants who were scared and struggling to navigate the system. Everyone in the group of eight volunteers has gotten at least one shot, Sally said, so no one is flying blind. Information-sharing is huge amongst the volunteers, who meet regularly on Zoom and dish it out as soon as they get it. 

“It’s people who either figured out the system or were lucky,” Sally said. “Jay and I were just lucky. We were on the computer at the right nanosecond. But it's a frustrating system.”

The Steeles and their fellow volunteers help out two types of people: those who are having trouble getting an appointment and just need a bit of moral support, and those in need of technical support. Sally suggested getting a computer-savvy helping hand, like a child or grandchild, and Jay suggested looking into surrounding counties with smaller populations. They encourage people to go outside of the two counties if they can, but travel is often an issue.

“I have one woman that I'm working with who is 90 years old, she has a lot of physical issues, a lot of health issues, she's on 24/7 oxygen,” Sally said. “She doesn't text. How is she gonna get the vaccine on a digital system that uses it? It’s almost punishment. It's just so frustrating, so you just try to try to help in any way that you can.”

So far, they’ve helped about 40 people in their temple and beyond get registered, Sally said. At this point, the way the vaccine registration system works is through a queue. Registrants are given a number and are contacted to set up an appointment when it’s their turn. 

“A few of the people that we have been helping have been able to get appointments, and that's really exciting for the people who are volunteering, because that makes us feel so good that we were able to help these people through the process,” Sally said.