People helping people
Groups like the Lord’s Cafe (top) and the Quilting Bees have been helping others in our community.
By Greg Bird
With the COVID-19 crisis raging on, prompting businesses to shut down and people to lose jobs – many citizens are starting to worry where their next meal is going to come from.
While the government and some utilities have taken steps to protect the public, such as ensuring no utility cut-offs and financial assistance, some citizens have stepped up to help their fellow man as well.
Photo by Greg Bird
Judge Greene’s office has been working with Sandra Cundiff and Kroger to help deliver food to people who can’t get out.
Individuals and organizations have come to the forefront to do what they can to help others through this difficult time.
One example is the Crossroads Community Church – The Lord’s Cafe, located next to the Parkland Motel in Stearns on U.S. 27. For the past decade Crossroads has been serving the needy people of McCreary County with lunches and grocery give-aways. In the wake of the edict to encourage social distancing, the Café’ transitioned to a drive-up service for distributing meals and food.
The group has been averaging nearly 300 meals each Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, when the lunches are offered from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Equal numbers have been reported for their grocery give-aways on Wednesdays from noon through 2 p.m.
Crossroads Community can be reached via their Facebook page, Crossroads—-The Lord’s Café.
Judge Executive Jimmie Greene and his office staff are extending a helping hand, delivering food to senior citizens and high-risk individuals who can not make it to the stores. Kroger in Whitley City is offering home delivery for Senior Citizens and High Risk Individuals Monday thru Friday from 9:00am until 5:00pm. You can request one trip per week with a minimum order of $25 with payment made by credit, debit, or EBT card after placing your order by phone, 606-376-2700. Call your order in to Kroger. Kroger will then call Judge Greene’s office for staff members to pickup and deliver your order.
They will drop the groceries off on your porch. (Make certain that you do not have dogs that will get into your groceries or harass the delivery driver.)
The CAP’s Quilting Bee’s, a sewing group that meets weekly at the CAP building (formerly Eagle Elementary) have been working on sewing surgical masks to help local doctors offices and others in the community who need extra protection.
MaryAnn Tucker, one of the members of the group said they usually worked on sewing quilts to donate to nursing homes and the elderly, but a personal request from a relative has shifted the focus to a more immediate concern.
“My niece is a Physician’s Assistant, and she asked if we could make some masks for her office,” Tucker said. “So I found a pattern and we began making them.”
The group, which includes MaryAnn Tucker, Zada Perry, Leisha Brown, Annie Perry, Paula Shannon, and Donna Carpenter-Sizemore, only ask for prayers in return for their sewing. Though Tucker did say they would accept donations of fabric and elastic bands to help them meet the demand for the masks.
“We are making them as fast as we can,” Tucker said.
To make a donation, or to learn more about the project, you can contact Tucker through her Facebook page.
The virus has prompted one local agency dedicated to helping the needy to close their doors, at least for the time being.
Sue Singleton, Director of the McCreary County Christian Care Center, stated the center closed Tuesday afternoon for precaution, as many of the volunteers are in the high-risk demographic.
Singleton said she and her volunteers have worked to help everyone they could in the past weeks, and have left resources in place to continue to provide aid when needed. The center has already canceled their monthly senior day, scheduled for Wednesday April 8 due to the risk involved, but hopes to return to normal operations as soon as possible.
There probably are hundreds of similar stories out there about community helping community, feel free to share your group or organization and what you are doing to our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tmcvoice/, to help spread the word.
