By Vicki Scott
This article would not be accurate without humungous and ginormous praises to God.
We are still blessed with the honor of serving hot meals to our seniors in the Glencoe community! We have many seniors that count on us for their meals. The thought of not being able to deliver was heart-shattering for us here at George Wallace Senior Center, the City of Glencoe, East Alabama and Georgia Foods.
Our volunteers have been made aware of the dangers of coming to help us. We planned to try to do the congregate curbside service ourselves. Some of the volunteers stayed home and safe, which we felt was best, and others threatened us and demanded we let them come anyway to help serve our seniors. Everyone showed support and prayers while showing extreme caution while limiting exposure inside and outside of the center. We sanitized everything every day. We have been obsessed with Clorox, hand sanitizer, soap, gloves, hair covers, aprons and Lysol. This pandemic has scared us to a whole new level of sanitization.
When this whole pandemic of the corona virus rose to a level of danger to quarantine everyone, East Alabama (which orders our food) sent out a memo stating that we would be receiving some boxed meals that contain food for seven days. The food in these boxes could be stored in a cabinet for up to a year.
Each of our seniors were to receive two boxes for two weeks’ worth food. We thought that in two weeks, the hot meals would stop. This was upsetting, not just for the hot meals but knowing that each of our seniors would not be visited by at least one person every workday. We have seen some extenuating circumstances that remind us of how important it is to not only check on our seniors with a visit but with a phone call as well. Ping Pondick continued her call to keep in touch with our seniors by phone from her home.
We received the boxed lunches two weeks later, and much to our surprise, we were still going to receive the hot meals. The boxed lunches were in addition to the hot meals and are to be used in case something happens and we cannot continue the hot meals. That was a nice surprise.
As we believe and strive to uphold, social interaction is a very important element in what we do at the center. Although we feel obligated to practice it, this social distancing goes against our beliefs. We decided to pick our battles, however, and for now, there are no hugs. We are hugging our seniors in our prayers and praying hard that this quarantine will be over soon with no more corona viruses. When this is over, our hugs might outnumber the beauty shop appointments.
Prayers are with the families affected by this virus and all the health care providers on the frontlines. Many businesses have closed, and some will not re-open. I hate that, and I pray for them too. When the decision was made to continue getting food to our seniors and to do curbside service, the bible verse that came to my mind from Galatians 1:10(NIV: Am I trying to win the approval of human beings or of God? Or, am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
As a servant of Christ, it is not about us. We felt as a team, so strongly led, that we could not refuse our call. I know God is with us and I pray for Him to be glorified, no matter what the outcome. I praise Him constantly for this opportunity. He has blessed me with a purpose. Stay safe, y’all.
Just for the record, no appointment is needed for the hug-a-thon when it is considered safe to do so.
I love y’all!