Faith in the Vaccine Ambassadors Share Messages of Hope at COVID-19 Vaccination Rally

Ashley Hott, a nursing student at George Fox University, Oregon, addressed a virtual rally of over 300 students, faculty, staff, and other interfaith leaders on Tuesday night, and told them why she is a vaccine ambassador.

“I myself am immunocompromised, so are some of my family and friends, and it’s really important that I do whatever I can to promote the vaccine and bring protection and awareness to my community.”

Hott’s remarks were a part of a five-part video series created to commemorate the work of the Faith in the Vaccine Ambassadors (FIVA) — an IFYC initiative launched in March 2021. As a part of the initiative, 1,600 people — including college students, campus staff, religious leaders, and community organizers from 108 campuses and 90-plus civic and faith-based institutions were trained to address vaccine hesitancy and access in their local communities. To date, their efforts have been responsible for generating tens of thousands of personal touchpoints and many hundreds of events, primarily in racial minority low-income, and rural communities.

Eboo Patel, founder, and president of IFYC joined the ambassadors at the rally to celebrate their work so far:

“You have been my heroes over the course of the past several months. You have been doing the work of the nation, of the public, and of the world,” said Patel. “I can’t thank you enough and tell you how much you’ve inspired me.”

When asked about their biggest learnings from the experience, ambassadors shared stories of hope, resilience, and gratitude. Rosemary Ornelaz, an ambassador from University of the Incarnate Word, Texas, shared: “Our goal as vaccine ambassadors is not to force anybody to get the vaccine, our goal is to educate the public on the vaccine, and allow them to make that informed decision, an educated decision, whether they want to take the vaccine or not.”

WATCH Faith in the Vaccine Ambassadors – “Something I’ve Learned…”