Washington-Spencerville Korean Church Event Provides Vaccines for 316

The Washington-Spencerville Korean (Silver Spring, Md.) church hosted a vaccination event on April 21 and 22 that supplied 316 people with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The two-day event was held in partnership with the Maryland Vaccine Equity Task Force, Giant Pharmacy and Adventist Community Services to provide vaccine access for Maryland’s local Korean communities.

“Because we serve immigrant, tech challenged, language challenged or other hesitant communities, the Maryland Vaccine Equity Program asked us to offer the vaccines,” says David Kim, associate pastor for the Washington-Spencerville Korean church. 

The church promoted the vaccination drive through Korean language newspapers that circulate in Maryland, Washington D.C. and Virginia, and through local neighborhood organizations and online groups. They coordinated with Adventist Community Services (ACS) to arrange for additional volunteers to assist with the event.

“During the pandemic, we were given a crucial opportunity to demonstrate who we are and what we stand for as a church,” says Kim. “Our efforts, in partnership with ACS, to distribute personal protective equipment to our communities early in the COVID-19 pandemic, and now with the vaccine clinic, have given our own members a sense of pride and a desire to serve and live out the Gospel by meeting people’s needs.”