Cambodian Community Rings in New Year With Shots at Pop-Up Vaccine Clinic

BUXTON, Maine – Maine’s Cambodian community on Sunday received free Covid-19 vaccine shots during a pop-up vaccine clinic at the Cambodian Buddhist temple in Buxton, Maine. 

“I am truly grateful for Kyle Holmquist, Watt Samaki, and the volunteers for making the event a success. The response was great and people were waiting outside in the cold and rain for their turn to get the vaccine,” said Theary Leng Ryder, executive director of Khmer Maine, an organization that supports cultural exchange and civic engagement in the Cambodian community. “Some seniors got up early in the morning to prepare authentic food for the medical team and volunteers. It was such a heartwarming experience to see everyone caring for one and other.”

The pop-up vaccine clinic was a collaboration between Khmer Maine, Watt Samaki Temple, and Local Roots Healthcare based in Kennebunk. About 60 Cambodian Mainers received their vaccines, including roughly 8 who received their first doses. Community members who received a vaccine shot were eligible for a free 25 lbs. bag of rice or a voucher to Cambodian grocers in Portland, Maine. The rice and vouchers were provided by Khmer Maine. 

“Sunday’s COVID vaccine clinic exemplifies how Mainers take care of each other. I am so grateful for Theary, Khmer Maine, and all involved in organizing today’s event. I strive to lower the barriers to receiving health care in my professional practice, and this community-organized event proves that it truly takes a village to keep our friends and neighbors safe and healthy,” said Kyle Holmquist, FNP-C, and provider at Local Roots Healthcare. “I am overjoyed to have been trusted to administer 60 COVID vaccinations to this amazing and close-knit community.”

Throughout the pandemic, Khmer Maine has worked closely with Watt Samaki Khmer Temple in Buxton, Maine, and its leadership to educate the Cambodian community about COVID-19 safety protocols and the importance of getting vaccinated. 

“We are a small but mighty community, the Cambodian community in Maine. People come from Sanford, Saco and Biddeford, Buxton, and all over southern Maine to get their vaccines. If we can do it to keep our families and each other safe, and show we care for our elders and community, so can Mainers across the state,” said Meng Yi, vice-president of the Watt Samaki Temple board of directors. 

###

ABOUT KHMER MAINE

Khmer Maine, formerly known as the Cambodian Community Association of Maine, is a nonprofit, grassroots organization working to improve the quality of life and the social and economic well-being of Cambodian people in Maine through cultural exchange, community building and civic engagement.

Learn more at www.khmermaine.org.