Shining a light: Hat's off to lunchmakers, TP warriors and diaper donors
As shell-shocked, dazed and yes, even stupefied, we all are these days, I am happy to report there are bright and shining moments to hail and celebrate.
It’s the coming together for one another, the paying-it-forward for real, the community rallying — this is the hope for all of us that will pay off and make us ever stronger.
Facebook pages dedicated to helping people locate things they needed, such as diapers, cleaning supplies, and yes, even food, have sprung up, including Idaho Covid 19 Mutual Aid Group and the Idaho Press Community Group: COVID-19 Resources.
Javier Andrade of Andrade’s Restaurant in Boise, said he is not only making lunches for schoolkids who no longer can get them at school, he’s also offered food for those without — “as long as I have food in my kitchen, I will feed you no charge,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
The Parma Fire Department has been delivering food boxes and toilet paper “to EVERY senior we can find,” said Pam Garza in an email. Garza is the coordinator for the Parma Senior Center. She said members of the fire department went door to door in senior housing “and the trailer court and everyone they know on the outskirts of town. We have handed out over 100 boxes already,” said Garza on Thursday. “People are getting pretty frightened about not being able to find a loaf of bread, a dozen eggs or gallon of milk to feed their kids. ... I just have so many people that have stepped forward to help — it’s AMAZING IDAHO!”
Jeremy and Heather Smith decided that instead of filling up their own larder, they would try to make a difference in the community.
“We were at the store and saw everybody hoarding everything and we decided we would do something different,” said Jeremy Smith.
He and his wife, Heather, spent about $80 on sandwich and lunch makings — peanut butter, loaves of bread, fruit, chips and drinks — and we made 60 lunches,” he said.
He posted a photo on Facebook with a note that said: “60 lunches, more to come. No judgement, you don’t even have to answer the door. My wife and I will drop them at your door and text you when we leave. We are all in this together, let’s help each other out.”
That was on Sunday night. On Monday morning, the post had been shared over 1,000 times. By Wednesday, that had doubled.
Their first delivery route was on Monday and the lunch drop-off is still going strong, with added help from others wanting to help, including Brandin Nichols, Jeremy’s boss at Lawn Ninja Landscape Design, and Jackie Hamilton and Acacia Fisher, “the twins who own Double Trouble Bail Bonds,” Smith said.
What was their motivation? “We haven’t always been in the best position; now we’re in a pretty good position,” he said.
“All we hear is the negative stuff now. I don’t believe that coronavirus is a threat to our society ... maybe I’m wrong, I don’t know. But if we can jump in and help, I’m happy to do it.”