THE BEST KIND OF POSITIVE Local People Act to Support our Community in Pandemic STORY BY KAREN PATON-EVANS
COVID-19 is certainly turning our world upside down. People with courage and creativity are finding ways to make the best of this unprecedented situation by taking positive actions throughout our community. Here are just a few examples. KEEPING VULNERABLE PEOPLE NOURISHED: VON And Volunteers Drive The Meals On Wheels Program People with health and mobility issues confining them indoors could give coping tips to residents struggling with staying home during the COVID-19 lockdown. While reasonably self-sufficient, one thing 140 local shut-ins require is meal delivery. The Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) Windsor-Essex has adapted its Meals on Wheels program, forgoing its usual daily delivery of hot meals and substituting with a weekly supply of frozen meals. Dishes are prepared in a commercial kitchen by separated chefs. The food is then organized for safe delivery. A volunteer places the package at a senior’s door and backs away to a safe distance. When the senior appears, they enjoy a chat and check all is well. These dedicated volunteers ensure 700 meals reach vulnerable residents weekly, helping them to continue living independently in their own homes.
Clockwise from right: Christine Brush, Program Coordinator of Meals on Wheels; Holly Noble, a Transport Truck Driver—one of the many jobs on Windsor-Essex COVID Care Coalition’s essential worker registry; The Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor has created four special Drive Thru Food Hubs; On Saturday, April 25th, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare staff took part in a parade to celebrate their colleagues across the city.
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Food Banks Set Up Drive Thru Food Hubs Understanding that limiting contact with other people is critical in managing the spread of COVID-19, local food banks are finding alternative ways to provide food to fill bellies. The Unemployed Help Centre of Windsor Inc., the hub for the Windsor Essex Food Bank Association and its 15 member food banks, has created four special Drive Thru Food Hubs. Eligible residents receive a prepackaged food hamper by driving to a Drive Thru Food Hub, popping their trunk and waiting inside their vehicle while a volunteer loads the hamper. People without vehicles can keep physical distancing at a walk-up area where their food hamper will roll out on a conveyor. Windsor’s east end is served by the drive thru at 6955 Cantelon Dr., while west end folks have easier access to the drive thru at St. Michael’s Adult Secondary School at 477 Detroit St. Leamington residents can go to the hub at the Salvation Army at 88 Setterington St. Belle River’s hub is located at 962 Old Tecumseh Rd. Several thousand people have turned to local food banks since COVID-19 lockdown began. Many are first-time users, including former donors.
