I cannot believe that it has already been two years since we asked our volunteers not to come to the Outreach until it was safe. We started to transform our building in order to distribute food to our clients via a table outside the front door. Although, we faced many difficulties…we never closed our doors to our clients and the many Covid positive families in need.
As frustrated and “beaten” as we all are with Covid and its variants, mutations, mask requirements, vaccine recommendations, boosters, CDC confusion, Covid politics, supply chain issues, significant inflation, Covid misinformation, long-term Covid, self-isolation for many seniors, no real social interactions for young children, let us all just bite down on our mouthpieces one more time and continue to protect our seniors, students and children until this is over! We are almost out of this!
Our prior call for soup was especially heard; special thanks to the Veroline Family, the Fiorillo Family, and the Estevez family (board member) for dropping off soup at my house or the Outreach. Incredibly, 30 minutes after I sent the email for help, Christian Linberg of Harbor Seafood contacted me and donated 1,680 cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup! Mike DelPercio’s daughter and her friend organized an Honor Society and Instagram soup drive and donated cans of soup. These donations will keep us going for a while. Thank you!
Suffolk County came through for us with a supply of Covid-19 test kits! Vanessa Baird Streeter, Deputy County Executive made the arrangements and we picked them up at the Suffolk County Department of Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services. Almost immediately, we distributed them to the Spice of Life Seniors, our local clients, and the Wyandanch School District. All of our clients and others who have received these kits have all been very appreciative.
We dropped off Health & Safety Kits to 55 seniors in the Safe At Home initiative, this program is through a contract with the Town of Babylon and United Way of Long Island. The kit included 4 Covid-19 test kits, UV sanitizing wand, fingertip pulse oximeter, hand sanitizer, lip gloss, and a Project Warmth Emergency Heating Assistance flyer. This effort has provided seniors with food and critical resources for the past two years.
The Babylon Rotary Club asked us to meet them at Restaurant Depot, together with other charities. We were each given a budget of $1,500 to purchase food (in 15 minutes!). Since I knew the store layout, I was like a kid in a candy store loading 40-pound boxes of potatoes, lettuce, tomatoes, string beans, oranges, bacon, and turkey hotdogs into my cart!! All fresh!
Naycha is already planning and preparing for our 2022 Summer Camp season. We will continue to maintain our philosophy of having at least thirty percent of the campers represented by homeless, shelter or foster children!
With 7:00 PM sunsets starting in 20 days, I am starting to look for signs of spring!
All good.
Joe
