Bee Cave names Kendra Wright a volunteer of the year for efforts to vaccinate the public

Sarah Asch, Austin American-Statesman
·3 min read

Bee Cave Mayor Kara King named Kendra Wright a volunteer of the year for her efforts to connect people to coronavirus vaccines as appointments started to be available in 2021.

Wright shares this honor with Mike Dahlhauser, who was named a volunteer of the year in December for his work during the winter freeze, among other efforts to better the community.

Wright’s efforts to get people vaccinated started when the shot was first offered. She founded Kendra’s COVID Coaches, assembling a team of 70 volunteers and conducting Saturday morning training sessions to help nursing homes find vaccines and assist those would otherwise struggle to find vaccine appointments. Wright said the inspiration for this effort came when her elderly father was vaccinated and she felt an enormous weight lift off her shoulders after fearing for his health for so long. She decided she wanted to help other people seeking that relief for themselves and their loved ones.

More: Bee Cave City Council recognizes Mike Dahlhauser as a volunteer of the year

“Ms. Wright and her COVID Coaches helped people find a way to get vaccinated through various government websites, by organizing vaccine booking parties and developing a spreadsheet for classifications of risk to help everyone in the community,” King said. “(She) has shown that she is a volunteer who is a vital part of our city’s future by working tirelessly during the time when COVID was raging and frightening with the goal of vaccinating elderly, disadvantaged, immunocompromised and first responders.”

Wright dedicated her award to the volunteers who helped in the effort, many of whom she said live in Bee Cave as she does. In the early days of the vaccine, her team booked thousands of appointments. They focused on people who were not comfortable using technology, helping them navigate online systems and wait lists that were often confusing to use. Every night at midnight when pharmacies and other entities would release new appointments, volunteers would be on hand to help people try to claim them.

Kendra Wright, at right, was named a volunteer of the year by Bee Cave Mayor Kara King, left, for her efforts to get people access to vaccine appointments.
Kendra Wright, at right, was named a volunteer of the year by Bee Cave Mayor Kara King, left, for her efforts to get people access to vaccine appointments.

Wrights said her volunteers worked through churches and schools, forming WhatsApp group text chains to make sure people in underserved communities had the information they needed. Her volunteer group had a division that was dedicated to helping Spanish speakers and another focused on connecting teachers, front line workers and first responders to appointments.

The City Council also voted to hold an election on May 7 for the position of mayor and two council seats. The last day for candidates to file is Feb. 18 and early voting starts April 25.

More: Ousted Bee Cave official loses first round before state appeals court

One of the two council seats up for election is the seat that was left vacant when former Council Member Jon Cobb resigned in September. The other seat is filled by Courtney Hohl, who was appointed in November 2020 after being the only candidate to file for a special election to fill a vacant seat.

The seat Hohl occupies was left vacant when the council voted in June 2020 to remove Bill Goodwin, a matter that has been the subject of ongoing litigation.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Bee Cave names Kendra Wright a volunteer of the year for vaccine efforts