To fully enjoy the holidays get vaccinated
Happy Holidays, San Antonio.
We are about to wrap up another year, and it is time to celebrate our many blessings with family and friends.
The holidays are always a special time, and after all we have been through in 2021 — year two of the global pandemic — they will be more even special than usual.
If you haven’t been able to visit downtown at night this season, it is worth the effort. The River Walk is sparkling with colorful holiday lights. It is as festive as any holiday display in the nation.
The H-E-B tree at Travis Park along with the Rotary Club Ice Rink have turned the park into a beautiful holiday wonderland that will help you get into the holiday spirit.
San Antonio is one of the most attractive cities in the nation, and in the holiday season our festive lighting and decorations make it even more amazing.
The COVID-19 pandemic once again had a huge impact on the way we lived in 2021. While the pandemic will be with us for the foreseeable future, vaccinations and our community’s adherence to the public health protocols — masks and sanitary measures – will continue helping us get through it.
The holidays are a time for us to be grateful for our many blessings. And I can’t think of a better place to be than San Antonio.
Our community has stood together and worked in collaboration to fight the coronavirus and thwart its deadly spread.
Public health officials, nurses, doctors, police officers and firefighters have been on the frontlines fighting the pandemic, and they are doing all that is possible to keep us healthy and nurture us back to wellness when the coronavirus strikes.
Our grocery store workers and many other service providers also have gone to work each day to ensure we could obtain to goods and services we needed.
While many more of us are out in the community living our lives as normally as possible, the pain of the pandemic remains for many.
The city has set up programs to help to pay your rent and utility bills if you need help. The assistance funds have been up and running for the better part of two years, and City Council last month approved another $30 million for utility assistance.
Call 311 if you need emergency housing or utility assistance. City staff will be on hand to help you cover your bills and stay in your home.
Additionally, in our continuing effort to fight poverty, the city will launch the four-year, $154 million Ready to Work SA job training program next year, and the temporary SA Train for Jobs program is still operating.
If you are looking for a way to improve your career and get a good-paying job with a future, I encourage you to explore our workforce development programs. You can get started by calling 311.
As we look ahead to a brighter year in 2022, being fully vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and your family and friends from getting COVID-19.
Vaccinations help keep people from getting seriously ill or being hospitalized. The vaccines are making a huge difference for our community.
You will enjoy the holidays even more if you get vaccinated so you can feel safe as you celebrate the season. Vaccines are free and can be obtained at your local pharmacy, your doctor’s office, or the mass vaccination site at the Alamodome Wednesday through Friday from noon to 8 p.m.
I am optimistic about 2022 and will be visiting with you again later about some important developments for the new year. Including the $1.2 billion bond election that likely will be on the May ballot.
But for now, let’s celebrate our many blessings and enjoy a break from the routine in coming weeks. Happy Holidays!
Ron Nirenberg is mayor of San Antonio.
