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Tricounty Family Ministries Resumes Food Distribution

News--Tricounty Family Ministries

A note from Kara Stewart, Executive Director of Tricounty Family Ministries:

I hope that you are all safe and healthy in these extraordinary times. Tricounty has experienced many challenges with the spread of the virus in our community. We shut down our services, including our food distribution, out of an abundance of caution. Most of our staff and many of our volunteers fall in the higher-risk categories, and so we wanted to protect everyone from this deadly virus. We have spent the last three weeks strategizing, learning more about the virus and its spread, seeking guidance on safety protocol, and thinking creatively about how we can pursue our mission to provide basic needs during this crisis.
 
I’m happy to report that with the Board of Director’s approval this week, we are planning to reopen our food pantry as of April 22nd! We will be seeking the help of volunteers on Tuesdays 12-2 so that we can unload the delivery truck, receive donations from our supporters, and bag groceries. We’ll also be seeking help with the food distribution on Wednesdays 10-2. We will need help with car traffic flow, registration, and placing grocery bags in trunks for a drive-through option. We will need help with monitoring social distancing in line, registration, and grocery pass-outs for a walk-up option. We’ll also need extra hands to come in at the end and help us sanitize our workspace.
 
These are the Signup Genius links:

Tuesdays 12-2

Wednesdays 10-2

Note: If you would like to join in the volunteer effort but have not served with Tricounty before, please register here. Registering automatically puts you on the volunteer email list so you can stay in the loop.

Please be aware that we have safety protocols in place that all volunteers must follow. After you sign up for a shift, I’ll send you a link to the form where you can certify that you are able to volunteer and ready to follow our safety protocols, including wearing a mask and gloves and keeping 6 feet of distance between people.

This is the checklist that would disqualify a potential volunteer:

  • I have health or age factors that put me in a higher-risk category for the virus
  • I have experienced symptoms that could be related to Covid-19 in the last 14 days
  • I have been around someone who has Covid-19 in the last 14 days
  • I have traveled to a foreign country in the last 14 days
  • I have been on a cruise or been in an airport in the last 14 days
  • I have been to an event where more than 50 people were in attendance in the last 14 days
  • I live with or am in frequent contact with people in the higher-risk categories for the virus

We also need your help with donations. Your monetary donations will go a long way in helping us serve our neighbors right now. We can purchase 10 times more food from the Food Bank with your financial donations than you can purchase in the grocery store.
 
If you’d like to share from the bounty of your pantry, the items we are requesting include:
 
PAPER GROCERY BAGS
 
FOOD
Boxes of cereal and oatmeal packets
Canned fruits and vegetables
Canned meats and fish
Peanut butter
Snack food / comfort food / treats
 
PERSONAL CARE ITEMS
Shampoo & conditioner
Toothpaste
Deodorant
Lotion
Feminine hygiene products
Toilet paper
 
CLEANING PRODUCTS   
Bleach
Clorox wipes
Lysol cleaner
Hand sanitizer
 
FOR FAMILIES:
New or lightly-used children’s books for all ages
Activity books, unused
Cards written to cheer up our neighbors
Decorated paper grocery bags to bring a little joy
 
Thank you for your continued support! Thank you to everyone who checked in and encouraged us to consider lots of options for opening once again! Thank you to everyone who is continuing to pray for our ministry, that we would heed the call to serve our neighbors in need.
 
Please email me if you have any questions at kara.stewart@tricountyfamilyministries.org.
 
Stay safe. Stay well. Stay hopeful!
 
Blessings,
Kara Stewart
Executive Director, Tricounty Family Ministries