How Can We Help Communities During COVID-19 Pandemic?
You’re staying home. You’re washing your hands. You’re avoiding large gatherings. In addition to taking all the steps to follow crucial safety guidelines for yourself and your family, what can we do to help the individuals and communities affected by the COVID-19 pandemic?
COVID-19 is creating new needs, while putting enormous financial pressure on all nonprofits. From medical and public health needs related to the response to economic uncertainty impacting vulnerable populations, the COVID-19 pandemic is creating unmet needs above and beyond the usual.
That’s why Interra International decided to make a donation impacting the vulnerable population in our community. Therefore, we matched all employees’ donations to a local charity, MUST Ministries. MUST is a non-profit, faith-based organization helping people in our community break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. MUST provides basic necessities such as food, clothes and housing, free of charge.
Founded in 1971, this charity addresses the basic needs of individuals, families, and children in the northwest metropolitan Atlanta communities of Bartow, Cherokee, Cobb, Douglas, Gwinnett, N. Fulton, Paulding and Pickens counties. MUST is unique among social service agencies in the metro-Atlanta area, offering comprehensive services such as emergency shelter, transitional housing and recovery from homelessness, housing for disabled clients, meals, groceries, clothing, job readiness training and placement, children’s programs, community support groups, and affordable housing. MUST serves as regional model in the delivery of services to indigent people/families in crisis, and those living in homelessness.
Interra International wanted to help alleviate the economic uncertainty caused by the pandemic, and we were able to provide 9,000 meals to the most affected people in our community. MUST, since March 17 has provided 222,164 meals to 31,961 people. Housed 300 people sleeping in MUST emergency shelter and housing programs. Partnered with many other nonprofits, school systems, churches, government organizations, business, donors, and neighborhoods to feed people in need.
If you are in a financial position to donate, you should consider making a donation to directly help combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Donors can make the greatest difference by supporting organizations that are serving vulnerable populations who will be most affected by the virus’ spread and the associated economic impact.