One area organization is among those adjusting to the new normal under COVID-19 restrictions. Extra Special People is continuing to reach out to area families within the confines of social distancing.
Laura Whitaker is Executive Director of ESP. She describes the predicament many families find themselves in.
“Families are stuck at home, not able to go to the grocery store," she said. "Many of our low-income families or hourly-waged families are now no longer working and they're having to make choices such as ‘Do I pay rent or do I pay for my child's medication?’”
Whitaker says they contacted all 600 families that ESP serves and put together a list of needs.
“To deliver groceries and food to the families that needed food and groceries, we decided to provide online support and care through support groups, counseling, online programming, and organize our programs in that way. We are providing financial support through an emergency fund that we have, helping pay for those rent bills and those light bills as needed.”
They are also providing some much needed relief.
“In a very careful way we are having four different kids at a time come to our ESP building by having one of them in each room that has been sanitized. We watch them for a few hours so their families can take a nap or get rested.”
Also providing online Joy Grams to keep the Java Joy Joyristas employed during this time.
To donate to the fund, visit extraspecialpeople.com to donate to emergency found. Orjava-joy.org for a Joygram.
