Booking an appointment for the COVID-19 vaccine isn't easy, so a group is trying to help.
Cleveland-native Nick Waterhouse started the Facebook group called "Ohio Vaccine Hunters." The goal is to connect citizens to shots by providing a platform for discussion and sharing resources.
Amanda Parker-Wolery came across the group when she was trying to find a vaccine for her father, who was diagnosed with cancer.
"There were a couple of times that I thought I was so close to getting a vaccine and I would get my hopes up ... and it would fall through somehow," she said. "I would scour Twitter to find most up-to-date vaccine advice, tips, or waitlists, and then I ran into the Facebook group 'Ohio Vaccine Hunters.'"
Parker-Wolery, who lives in Cincinnati, said her father is now fully vaccinated and she got her first shot. Now, she is committed to helping others find vaccines as a moderator of the group.
"I'll be up until 2 a.m. trying to find vaccines for people," she said. "Somebody might give me their zip code, but it might still take me four or five hours to get back to them before I find anything even remotely close to where they live."
Why does she do it? To her, it's about giving back and being a good neighbor.
"It's a horrible feeling to feel like there's no hope that this will end," Parker-Wolery said. "If getting a shot for somebody gives them a sense of hope that this will one day end, I think it's [our] civic duty to try to do that. This is a once-in-a-lifetime thing hopefully, so why not spend this time trying to help other people?"
Parker-Wolery said her best advice for people looking for a COVID-19 vaccine is to be patient and check back often.
"You might find a vaccine at midnight or you might find a vaccine at 2 p.m. As long as you can refresh, the time it takes to refresh your Instagram, you can refresh the COVID-19 vaccine page and be the lucky recipient of a shot," she said.
To get help finding a vaccine or to learn more about the group, click here.