LCCAP receives gracious donation from the Preston Family Foundation to provide meals to the elderly, disabled, and vulnerable families during this COVID-19 crisis.
Lawrence County Community Action Partnership is responding to a newly emerged identified need to feed the most vulnerable senior citizens, disabled adults, and low-income families with children who are isolated in their homes in compliance with the COVID-19 recommendation to self-quarantine so as not to be exposed to the coronavirus. March 30thwas the first day of operation of the ACTS TEAM program (Temporary Emergency Assistance through Meals), which is utilizing ACTS buses to deliver meals to the elderly and disabled. The next phase of delivering meals to vulnerable families with children begins tomorrow, April 14th. Most families will be picking up meals at Ben Franklin Early Learning Center with staff and volunteers bring a week’s worth of food to their vehicles. ACTS will deliver meals to families without vehicles.
LCCAP has mobilized a healthy volunteer base with help from various church groups (most notably, Prayer Chapel Ministries, City Church, Prevailing Word World Outreach Center, and Victory Christian Church). These volunteers are supporting LCCAP staff with cooking, meal preparation, packaging, and loading food bags onto ACTS buses, utilizing LCSS’s Ben Franklin Early Learning Center’s kitchen while children are not in session. Social distancing is being applied when utilizing volunteers.
LCCAP is working diligently to partner with statewide, regional, and community-based organizations to combine resources and funding to implement this program. LCCAP has received funding from Preston Family Foundation, May Emma Hoyt Foundation, Department of Community and Economic Development, and various other donors. Additionally, several church groups and citizens have provided donated goods and Head Start funds are being used to provide diapers, pull-ups, wipes, formula, and baby food to enrolled families. LCCAP will continue to seek funding for sustainability if it becomes necessary to continue operations for an extended period of time.
Currently, LCCAP is providing a week’s worth of meals to 200 at-risk seniors and disabled adults. Meals and other supplies such as diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, toilet paper and other household supplies are being provided to more than 100 vulnerable families. These numbers are anticipated to increase each week.
“This project takes a lot of manpower to coordinate and implement. Several volunteers are working alongside LCCAP management, case managers, kitchen aides, maintenance workers, and ACTS drivers to provide this emergency service. I’m proud of my organization, my co-workers, and this community. When there is a true need, the help pours in.”
