Local organizations work to assist senior citizens during virus outbreak

Getting to the grocery store to stock the pantry may be a hardship for the elderly.

But some local organizations are stepping in to help.

It could be a bigger hassle for senior citizens and families to get out to the supermarket and navigate through the large crowds.

These two groups are trying to assist those who can’t make it to the stores and keep their stomachs full.

In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak, there’s one thing everyone is searching for — food.

Rudy Johnson is the Executive Director for the Golden Triangle Planning and Development District.

He said his staff delivers meals to over 1,400 elders per month. And he’s want to make sure they don’t go hungry.

“It’s our job to make sure that their home-delivered meals are there, and they get the services they need,” said Johnson.

He said the spread of coronavirus is changing the ways they’ll communicate with the people they serve.

“We’re going to limit the contact we have. When they get there, the person will be called and we’ll leave them on the porch, and once they come out and get them the driver will leave. So we won’t have that personal contact with them,” said Johnson.

Several churches also have programs where they deliver meals. But with the recent outbreak, the Senior Pastor of Living Manna Church, R. H. Brown, said it’s putting on strain what they can do.

“I feel like my hands are tied because there’s such a great need now. We serve approximately 100 families per month, once a month. My hands are tied because the numbers are growing and I get calls all the time and it’s hard to meet the goals,” said Brown.

Brown said a food truck will make a delivery at the end of the month. And he hopes it’ll help reverse this problem.

“In the midst of the pandemic, we feel so, our hands are tied because of all the needs and we cannot handle it all. We have a first-come, first-serve basis which makes it easy for us because we give everything out until it’s gone, so there’s just a little bit left now. We’re going to make it through this, we have before,” said Brown.

“We want to make sure that these people are taken care of that’s our mission, that’s what we do,” said Johnson.