5 minute read
State of the City: Serving up Compassion
Compassion and Community
BY ASHLEY DOBBS
The two adult activity centers within the city limits, the Barbara Gaskin Washington and Eighth Street Adult Activity Centers, have been serving an older generation of residents for many years. Offering a variety of social activities, arts and crafts, and time spent with friends, these adult centers have become an extension of family within the community. Visitors are greeted with joyful hugs, excited smiles and familiar faces. However, during the height of the pandemic last year, city staff soon realized that many of these activities would be put on hold until it would be safe for this vulnerable population. Concerns over seniors being able to acquire the food and supplies needed to survive the isolation during the pandemic soon became a reality.
“Some of our seniors didn’t have cars, were in a crunch, didn’t have food or milk and didn’t have the simple basic needs,” said LaToya Artis, Recreation Programs Supervisor for the City of Ocala Recreation and Parks Department. “I started making bags to give out to our seniors to make sure they had pantry items. One of our seniors attended art class and volunteered at His Compassion [food bank]. They asked if any of our seniors needed food.”
Through the recommendation of the food bank, city staff worked with the seniors to fill out forms needed to register for the incoming food boxes. Between the two senior centers, 65 residents filled out paperwork. “Early in the pandemic, there were about 10-12 seniors that were not physically able to lift or transport the boxes, so I would pick them up and deliver to them,” Artis said. “Between me and one volunteer we were able to get this food to people who needed it. For the first month of the pandemic I would personally deliver the food to our seniors in need. Believe it or not, about twice a week I was getting these boxes to our 10-12 seniors that weren’t mobile. The rest were able to pick up their boxes.”
His Compassion contracted with the federal government to ensure that residents
LaToya Artis and Grace Huffman
received USDA food boxes. With the help of a local business owner, Clark Funeral Home and church pastors, volunteers helped pick up and distribute these boxes weekly, including dropping off 30 boxes at the senior center. The distribution happens three days a week and 100 boxes per day have made their way Barbara Gaskin Washington Adult Activity Center - Food Box Delivery into the hands of people within the community. The food boxes have remained consistent since July 2020, with the government placing the program on hold for two months during the fall season but resuming earlier this year. The program concluded this past April. However, those who are still just wanted to make sure that we were taking in need may reach out to His Compassion care of our seniors. I couldn’t keep distributFood Bank at 352-351-0732. ing this food on my own, but then another
Although LaToya and another volun- partner stepped in to help. I don’t know if you teer put the wheels in motion, Grace Huff- believe in God, but honestly, we never asked man, a recreation leader at the center, now one question, and everything continually fell oversees the program. “They really enjoy the into line. When one thing fell though, anothcommunication and fellowship that they er person stepped up and that’s how we were have here,” Huffman said. “They really enjoy able to keep this food distribution.” the food. It’s helpful to them because lots of them can’t get out to the grocery stores.” Ashley Dobbs is the Marketing and Communi-
Artis added: “It started out so simple. We cations Manager for the City Of Ocala.
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