DANBURY—The Coronavirus pandemic while forcing people to keep their distance from one another is drawing communities closer to help others in need.
Mid-way through March when it became apparent that the Coronavirus pandemic was not slowing down, Devon McCormick, a pastoral associate at St. Gregory The Great Church in Danbury decided to organize a donation drive to support her community through this health crisis.
“We will accept anything people are willing to give, cleaning supplies, Clorox wipes, things like that are really helpful now,” she said. A storage container with a hand-made “Food Drop Off,” sign sits outside the parish office door in a building behind the church on Great Plain Road.
McCormick said she started the donation drive as an effort to help the St. Gregory community of parishioners, by collecting and delivering items in need to people who are older or homebound or simply don’t want to go out during this time.
The generosity of the community has enabled donation efforts to also address the needs of the Greater Danbury area.
Donations are being sent to local pantries and food kitchens such as the Daily Bread Food Pantry and Dorothy Day House. Those organizations and many like them, are helping to share the goodwill of others by accepting donations that are collected at various community drives and distributing them to people in need.
“We have some additional expenses during this period but we also have an ongoing need,” said Daily Bread Food Pantry Board of Director, Debbie Landzberg. “The number of households we serve each week has increased by almost 40% in recent months, with many new households showing up each time we open.”
St. Gregory’s has collected almost $1,000 so far and the money is being used to purchase much needed items that have not been donated or are in short supply.
“You always hope for it to be an overwhelming response but you can’t expect that at this time. This isn’t going to be like a Thanksgiving food drive with tables covered with items,” McCormick said. It’s a challenging time. Many people are being told not to come out or be in contact with others, so we’re not seeing a tremendous amount of donations.”
McCormick said all donations are sanitized before they are distributed. “Whatever is given is good. It’s going to help, even if it’s one can. There are families that are food insecure and we are here to help.”
St. Joseph in Danbury has organized an outreach ministry team to connect with parishioners who may need groceries dropped off to their home or a phone call to have someone to talk to during this time.
“This season of Lent has taken on a new meaning,” said St. Joseph Pastor Rev. Samuel Scott. “This time of social separation—a fast from so much of what we enjoy and find meaningful, a wilderness of fear, chaos, and uncertainty—has plunged us into a deeper Lent that we ever dreamed of earlier in the year. We will find our hearts purified anew to be strengthened and be the hearts and hands of our Lord during this time.”
The collaborative effort of individual community drives and well-established organizations such as the Daily Food Pantry, founded in 1984, offers productive ways for people to contribute to easing the burden of others.
Donations from grocery stores are down since stores are struggling to keep shelves stocked during this pandemic.
But besides monetary and food donations, a donation of time is crucial too.
“We are seeking volunteers,” Landzberg said. “We do need more male volunteers to do the heavy lifting of stocking the pantry shelves.” Volunteers, who think they may have been exposed to the Coronavirus, are asked to stay away from the pantry for now, while others follow safety protocols by wearing gloves and covering their faces.
The pantry now readies pre-packed bags of food to distribute to families, instead of having families select individual items. This limits the amount of people inside the pantry and adheres to social distancing practices.
In addition to meeting the physical needs of the community, St. Gregory the Great Pastor Michael Dunn, encourages people to cherish this gift of time.
“Use this time, although it’s a scary time, to pray the rosary, take a walk, do something you normally do not have a chance to do in our hectic life,” said Father Dunn, adding that he has been catching up on spiritual books he’s been meaning to read. “It is a time of grace where we can really draw closer to Christ and build our relationship with him.”
