In a year when COVID-19 has disrupted much of everyday life, local volunteers have used their creativity to keep helping those in need. The Kid’s Closet Ministry provides school supplies, clothing, and other resources to about Starke County 1,200 children a year. Director Linda Lewandowski says that volunteers can no longer deliver clothes directly to homes, but they found a solution that turned out to be more efficient.
“We partnered with a lot of the area churches and the families go in there and they work with them to make sure that everything fits,” Lewandowski explains. “And it’s been so amazing that we’re going to stick with that plan even after COVID because we are getting the job done quicker, and they love doing it. So it’s really a blessing in disguise.”
On the other side of the building, the North Judson United Methodist Church Food Pantry has switched to drive-through distributions. Director Jose Marquez says the pantry helped fill in gaps in student meal distributions, during last spring’s school closure.
But there are also a few things that have been lost during the pandemic. Lewandowski says she misses the connection of letting kids pick out their own backpack, which wasn’t able to happen when the annual Pack-a-Backpack event switched to a drive-through format last fall. “I’m hoping I can go back to the old way,” Lewandowski says. “I know it’s more work. I know it takes a little more time, but I just love the fact that the kids get to pick them and they get everything that they need off that list.”
Similarly, before COVID-19 hit, the North Judson United Methodist Church’s monthly community meal gave older residents a much-needed social opportunity, according to Marquez. Now, he’s been delivering meals to some of them, but more important, he says, is the five minutes he spends talking and praying with them, even though COVID-19 precautions can sometimes make that difficult.
The food pantry and Kid’s Closet celebrated the purchase of their building last week with a Starke County Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting. You can find more information about the North Judson United Methodist Church Outreach Ministries by calling the church at 574-896-5927.
