COMMUNITY CONNECTION SERVING OUR COMMUNITY WITH WHAT THEY NEED
APRIL 2020 | Vol.6 | Week 1
UPDATE
Dear Supporters and Clients,
What a whirlwind this has all been!
Things spiraled pretty rapidly in relation to what we were able to offer as far as our hours of operation. But I can say that our volunteer staff has been awesome through all of this in their flexibility, readiness and creativity in getting the needs of our community met.
Equally awesome to me has been the support from you all. You have showed up in a big way with donations (diapers, wipes and formula AND cash). Just over two weeks ago, we had taken our online ordering system of diapers and wipes for granted. Now we are almost daily getting “Back-ordered” and “Cancelled” emails. Yet in all this, because of the faithfulness of God, we have not had to tell anyone no. Not even once.
Here are our current changes:
· Office Hours: M, W, F: 9am-12pm
· Call when you arrive and we will gather your order and place it at the door.
· We are also taking donations during these hours.
· Because our hours are limited and many people are in self-quarantine, we are also offering porch deliveries when necessary.
· Because we can’t meet face to face, we are doing all new client intakes over the phone.
· Our phones are being routed to home phones of volunteers and we are taking calls 7 days a week to make sure that no emergency needs are overlooked. This also allows front-line workers with long hours to contact us whenever they have a need.
I am writing to you from quarantine. Both my husband and I have been sick, yet, have thankfully not been sick to the point of hospitalization. Therefore, we have not been able to be tested for COVID-19 but are operating under the assumption that we have it and are staying home completely as directed.
This "Stay Home, Stay Safe" order has given me much more time to be in the Word and the other morning, I discovered something that was right in front of my face that I had never noticed before and I wanted to share with you all.
Do you know what the disciples were doing on the very first Resurrection Sunday? They were locked inside a house. They were isolating and afraid. I don’t know why, but I had never caught that before! Jesus came through a locked door to meet with them. And His first words to them were, “Peace be with you.” (John 20:19) In fact, it was so important, He said it AGAIN. “Peace be with you.” (John 20:20)
We will have a unique opportunity this upcoming Resurrection Sunday to be in our homes, perhaps locked in, perhaps afraid. It will be the closest that most of us have ever come before to experiencing what the disciples really felt like on that very first Easter.
The deepest prayer of my heart is that while we are all in isolation, Jesus will walk into our homes, through locked doors and speak, “Peace be with you,” in the midst of all of this uncertainty.
You know, when I wrote to you in the beginning of the year about having 2020 vision, I had no idea what was ahead. But He did. One of my favorite songs says, “Fear not tomorrow. God is already there.” Take comfort in that, my friends. And Happy Resurrection!!
Glenda Dunaway Bambinos Executive Director