>> Bill: REMARKABLE STORY.
>> Dana: A CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL
FRESHMAN IS KNOWN AS A VACCINE
ANGEL FOR PUTTING HIS COMPUTER
SKILLS TO GREAT USE.
HE IS HELPING HUNDREDS OF
SENIOR CITIZENS SECURE VACCINE
APPOINTMENTS WHILE STILL GOING
TO SCHOOL FULL-TIME.
THAT STUDENT IS BENJAMIN KAGAN
AND GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
HOW DID YOU GET STARTED DOING
THIS?
>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I STARTED THIS BY HELPING MY
GRANDPARENTS THAT LIVE IN
FLORIDA GET THEIR VACCINE.
AND THEN FROM THERE I SORT OF
MOVED ON TO MY PARENTS’
COMPANY, AN ESSENTIAL BUSINESS
HERE IN CHICAGO.
I SCHEDULED THEIR EMPLOYEES FOR
VACCINES AND I LEARNED ABOUT
THE CHICAGO VACCINE HUNTER
FACEBOOK GROUP AND POSTING TIPS
ABOUT HOW AND WHAT SITES TO
CHECK TO GET VACCINES.
THEN I WAS GETTING A LOT OF
FACEBOOK PRIVATE MESSAGES
ASKING ME TO DIRECTLY HELP
PEOPLE THAT COULDN’T TYPE FAST
ENOUGH OR WOULDN’T KNOW WHEN
APPOINTMENTS WERE COMING OUT.
I STARTED TRYING TO HELP THESE
PEOPLE AND REALIZED THERE WERE
SO MANY PEOPLE AND I DIDN’T --
I COULDN’T POSSIBLY DO IT ALL
MYSELF.
THEN I FOUNDED THE CHICAGO
VACCINE ANGELS.
OUR MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO HELP
PEOPLE GET THEIR VACCINE
APPOINTMENTS.
WE SCHEDULE DIRECTLY FOR PEOPLE.
WE HAVE A GOOGLE FORM.
IT PUTS THEIR INFORMATION INTO
A SPREADSHEET THAT OUR
VOLUNTEERS USE TO SCHEDULE
APPOINTMENTS.
>> Bill: HOW OLD ARE YOU?
>> 14, FRESHMAN IN HIGH SCHOOL.
>> Bill: WELL DONE.
SINCE YOU STARTED DOING THIS,
WHAT HAS HAPPENED AS A RESULT?
>> AS A RESULT, WE’VE SCHEDULED
OVER 600 PEOPLE TO GET THEIR
VACCINES AND WE ARE DOING A
GREAT SERVICE TO THIS COMMUNITY
OF OLDER PEOPLE THAT CAN’T
SCHEDULE THEIR OWN APPOINTMENTS.
>> Dana: TWO QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
WHAT IS SOMETHING IF SOMEBODY
IS AT HOME, A PARENT, YOU KNOW
THEY’RE HAVING A HARD TIME
GETTING ONLINE WHAT’S THE ONE
THING EVERYBODY SHOULD KEEP IN
MIND TRYING TO GET AN
APPOINTMENT.
WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO YOU
SECONDLY?
>> TO THE FIRST QUESTION I
WOULD SAY FLEXIBILITY.
YOU HAVE TO BE FLEXIBLE.
YOU MAY HAVE TO DRIVE FAR.
ALSO IN TERMS OF TIME I’VE
GOTTEN CALLS FROM HOSPITALS
SAYING BENJAMIN WE HAVE 10
EXTRA DOSES CAN YOU GET 10
PEOPLE OVER TO OUR HOSPITAL IN
THE NEXT TWO HOURS?
TIME, FLEXIBILITY AND LOCATION
FLEXIBILITY ARE TWO BIG THINGS.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO ME BECAUSE
I’VE READ SOME OF THESE STORIES
AND HEARTBREAKING TO HEAR THAT
THESE PEOPLE ARE IN SUCH BAD
SITUATIONS AND THEN TO BE ABLE
TO COME IN AND SOLVE THIS AND
PEOPLE CAN SEE THEIR
GRANDPARENTS.
I HAVE HEARD FROM CANCER
PATIENTS THAT ARE AFRAID OF
DYING OF COVID.
TO BE ABLE TO STEP IN AND SAY
HERE IS YOUR VACCINE.
I CAN QUITE POSSIBLY BE SAVING
YOUR LIFE AND LET YOU GET BACK
TO NORMAL FEELS INCREDIBLE.
>> THE CHICAGO VACCINE ANGELS,
RIGHT?
WHEN WORD GOES OUT TODAY
MILLIONS OF PEOPLE WILL SEE
THIS.
A WORD OF WARNING TO YOU.
YOU WILL GET A LOT OF REQUESTS,
BEN.
>> WE’RE DOING OUR BEST TO KEEP
UP RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE JUST WANT TO HELP AS
MANY PEOPLE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
>> Bill: I HAVE A FRIEND IN
FLORIDA.
SHE IS A MOTHER OF FOUR KIDS
AND SHE WOULD GET UP EVERY
MORNING AT 5:30 AND LOG ONTO
THE WEBSITES TO MAKE SURE HER
PARENTS ARE TAKEN CARE OF.
SHE WOULD REACH OUT TO OTHER
FRIENDS AGE 65 AND OLDER AND
SIGN THEM UP AS WELL.
THE KEY IN ALL THIS IS YOU CAN
NAVIGATE TECHNOLOGY MUCH BETTER
AND MUCH QUICKER THAN SENIORS
CAN.
>> YEP.
>> Dana: THE OTHER THING IS
THAT YOU WANT TO GET BACK TO
NORMAL TOO, RIGHT?
>> YES, I DO.
MY SCHOOL HAS BEEN ONLINE FOR
THE MAJORITY OF THIS YEAR.
I’VE BEEN IN SCHOOL TWICE THIS
YEAR.
TODAY IS MY THIRD DAY OF
IN-PERSON SCHOOL.
AS LONG AS THE PANDEMIC DRAGS
ON IT WILL KEEP ME AND MY
FRIENDS OUT OF SCHOOL.
I WANT THIS TO BE OVER TO GET
BACK TO NORMAL TO START LIVING
MY LIFE AGAIN.
>> Dana: HOPE WE GET TO MEET
YOU ONE DAY.
IMPRESSED.
>> Bill: WELL DONE.