In these times of uncertainty of whether we’ll be able to travel to our jobs, restaurants or businesses — or whether we’ll be stuck within our four walls — keep in mind that there are people in our community who would rejoice to have four walls to have to stay in.
Help coming from the agencies that normally provide the “hand-ups” may be hard to find as citizens and businesses rally around themselves first during the current coronavirus pandemic, so whenever it comes over the next couple weeks or months, it should be rejoiced.
It’s been a rough week, but also a good week at times. On Wednesday, the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office set up a mobile shower unit at the Community Hope Center, in order to provide a dignified way for our homeless neighbors to shower, with the added benefit of helping reduce the spread of the virus.
And then there’s the bounty that came this week to the Osceola Council On Aging, who many people have been holding their collective breath for since its big benefit 5K event was canceled due to COVID-19 response. The Universal Orlando Resort and the Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center joined in with individual community members to combine to deliver an estimated 2,500 pounds of food, including fruit, vegetables and produce, milk, bread, and even pallets of pet food to the Community Hope Center and to its partners like the Council on Aging. On the heals of a donation of meats and leafy greens from The Waffle Foundry last weekend, the Council held a “pantry drive-thru” on the heals of its regular Tuesday family food distribution that left its shelves as bare as they’ve been in a while.
“We have so many awesome people to thank!” said Wilda Belisle, who runs Osceola County’s Meals on Wheels effort from Council on Aging. “Since (Wednesday) we have been blessed with some amazing donations, One Osceola couple came with lots of vegetables, milk and other food items, a truck driver donated three pallets of dog food, Gaylord Palms donated hundreds of pounds of produce, Universal Resort donated three pallets of produce and our sweet friend Kelly Trace came up with a trunk load of produce and eggs for people who need help!”
Belisle and her troops of compassion prepared and distributed nearly 300 bags of food, that were all distributed in about two hours.
“What a great team of staff and volunteers! I am so thankful to each one of them,” Wilda said. “To all the private citizens and businesses who donated bags thank you from the bottom of our heart! What a great community this is!”
