Volunteers donate to elderly and children as COVID-19 spreads

The shopping frenzy continues as many stock up on supplies for fear of coronavirus. Volunteers are helping some of the youngest and oldest members of our community who don’t have the ability to get extra supplies.

More than a thousand low-income children in Houston received meals from volunteers with Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack operated out of Holy Spirit Episcopal Church. They normally deliver weekend meals to schools for kids in need.

“This is a weekend food pack,” said Melissa Peter, an organizer with Bayou City Blessings in a Backpack, showing one of the meals that have yet to be delivered.

“The bags that we delivered yesterday and today are heartier bags.”

A wrench was thrown into the charity’s meal delivery plans this week when students were dismissed early and abruptly due to coronavirus concerns.

“We couldn’t get the bags to the kids because the announcement was after school was out,” said Peter.

That didn’t stop the charity workers. Instead, even more volunteers came out Thursday night, and Friday morning crews delivered the meals directly to the community where many of the children live.

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“We distributed about 1,500 weekend food packs,” said Peter.

For people age 60 to over 100, Interfaith Ministries delivered extra supplies through Meals on Wheels Friday.

“Now we decided to deliver these shelf-stable meals today and next week to prepare them for the possible emergency situation,” said Ali al Sudani with Interfaith Ministries.

The nonprofit usually waits to make such a delivery during hurricane season.

“These are all items that are made to last for a long time on the shelf in the event of a storm or in the event of a quarantine,” said Sucre Woodley with Interfaith Ministries.

Interfaith Ministries plans to deliver more of those shelf-stable meals to Galveston’s seniors in need on Monday.

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