What We Can Do

This is a strange time for all of us, and we're in the midst of something we have never experienced before. We are trying to make the best of things in a largely unsure world. With all social activities canceled, many of us have been given the gift of time. It is our hope that when we look back on this season, we will not think of this time as wasted but as time well spent. The first and foremost thing we can do is pray. Prayer is powerful and it has been so encouraging to see how we have come together to pray already. We will be hosting Morning Prayer on Sunday and Compline on Tuesday and Thursday but we also encourage you all to find other ways to pray together. The links and liturgy for each of these meetings are included in the events section of this letter.

We also want to take action during this time. There are people around us who were food insecure before the crisis and now things are worse for them given the empty shelves. There are two ways we have decided to provide support during this time. Richmond City Public Schools is setting up distribution centers around the city to provide food for those who would normally be receiving school meals. These shifts are three hours or less and will be running on all week days until school resumes. You can sign up for a volunteer shift here. We are hoping to get a few of us to volunteer a couple of days next week. If you are not vulnerable to the effects of infection, and would like to join, please sign up for Thursday at Carver Elementary here. Please sign up for Wednesday or Friday at Binford Middle here. Please keep in mind that the spots are first come and there are a limited number available.

The other way we are helping is by providing support to Grace & Peace. This is a ministry that serves in the Mosby Court area of Richmond City. Many of those they serve receive food stamps (and so were unable to stock up) and often the families living together are very large. They are currently delivering food directly to those they serve. If you would like to make a donation, you can do so here and put in the comments that it is for food for the COVID-19 crisis. They are also accepting food donations if you prefer that. Please reach out to me if you would like to make a food donation, I have worked with this ministry before and will help coordinate dropping off the food.

Katherine