COVID-19 is no respecter of situation, group, or status. Among the hardest hit have been people who were already experiencing hardships. Community organizations with a mission to help have faced greater than normal needs during this pandemic. However, with the supply chain disruptions and safety concerns plaguing the country, numerous programs have been at risk of shutting down.
Doing What’s Simple to Help Others Do What’s Hard.
The Inter-Faith Council for Social Service (IFC) runs one such program in the Chapel Hill, NC area where Bob Macdonald lives. HomeStart is a 24-hour emergency shelter focused on helping women and children who are experiencing homelessness. IFC assists these ladies by connecting them with community resources to find housing as quickly as possible, get healthcare, and access other income growth resources.
Those that know Bob know that he is a person that will “see a need – fill a need.” When he learned that Homestart was struggling to keep up with their operation needs, that’s just what he did. Not only was the group trying to provide shelter (with social-distancing) and counseling, but they also needed meals. That was one area Bob and his wife Nancy knew they could address. So, they headed to the store, came home, and began preparing meals.
As Director of Field Training for Coast 2 Coast, Bob recognizes and cultivates the potential in others. He knows the impact of small improvements and the difference it makes in people’s progress. Bob commented, “When you speak with one of these ladies in the HomeStart program and you ask them to define poverty they tell you – it’s feeling like you don’t matter, that no one is listening, they say it’s as if you’re invisible, and that it’s a lack of dignity. This is a much deeper issue and one that most have no idea how to begin to address. That’s the reason Nancy and I were willing to bring meals. We know how to shop and cook. We need the IFC to be able to help with these much harder issues and not allow the disruptions caused by the pandemic to interfere with the restoration work they are doing in these women’s lives.”
We are so proud of Bob and Nancy. We’re inspired by their service to this worthwhile we know they support several other children’s organizations. They are a great example of the generous people making up our Coast 2 Coast family.