By: Evan Wechman

During the last few months, while New Jersey residents have been scrambling for the Coronavirus vaccine, Chester resident Heather McCarthy has been working non-stop to secure appointments for the elderly. 

It began in late January when McCarthy witnessed the long lines on frigid days at the local pharmacies in the area and knew she had to help. 

McCarthy, who already has a full time job as a middle school teacher in nearby Madison, realized this would be a worthwhile undertaking, but had no idea at the amount of support she would receive. 

McCarthy stressed that though she has received much recognition, “it’s not all about me. It’s been a team effort.” 

The school teacher had recently worked hard to make sure her parents and her brother who is diabetic received the vaccine, but she wanted to help other residents, mainly seniors who did not have access to computers. 

McCarthy describes how she put out the word that she was looking for others to assist her, and the response was overwhelming. According to the school teacher and devoted mother of two children, so many people simply said “I want to help.” 

There are now over 50 dedicated volunteers who have assisted McCarthy with publicizing the group, including setting up a Facebook page titled “Chester NJ Covid Volunteers.” She is also grateful for St. Lawrence Church in Chester who allowed the group to use their hotlines for seniors to connect with them. 

McCarthy is aware that though she is proud of all her fellow volunteers, she couldn’t possibly mention every single one. However, she wanted to be sure to recognize Heather Hearon who helped set up the Facebook page as well as Simone Campbell who created spreadsheets to organize the appointments. These two wonderful women also spent significant time mentoring the other volunteers. 

One bit of irony is though these women have gone through a great ordeal to help the community, at the time of this writing they had only seen each other through zoom meetings. The good news is they do plan to get together shortly. 

McCarthy also points out that though this started as a local Morris County project, “we don’t turn anyone away.” This includes people from other New Jersey counties such as Bergen. While she tried to name everyone who has helped, she proudly recalled how many in her group drove seniors long distances during the snow filled February to ensure they were vaccinated. 

Such actions have also garnered the attention of local New Jersey Congressman Tom Malinowski, who has also partnered with the group to ensure his residents’ health. 

Many in the community refer to the group as “Covid Angels” for their tireless efforts. Unfortunately, the volunteers realize the fight is not over. According to McCarthy, who has also helped fellow teachers among others receive vaccines “some of the people (who need assistance) are getting younger and younger.” She contends “the more people with shots in their arms, the better.” 

McCarthy warmly opened up to our publication when she mentioned that it has been a bitter year for her. She unfortunately lost her father to a non-covid related illness. She is grateful though that because he received the vaccine through her help, she and her children were able to spend time with him, that otherwise might not have been possible. 

She concludes “it has been a rough year for me and when I reach out to help people, they are grateful.”