Month: April 2020

COVID-19 Preparedness at Loudoun Hunger Relief

Posted on by Threshold Media
Thank you for your support of the work we do at Loudoun Hunger Relief, helping the most vulnerable among us to have sufficient, nutritious food.
We’d like to take a few minutes of your time to update you on what we’ve done to be prepared as an organization and to prepare the people we serve for impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
As a leader in Loudoun’s emergency food system, we have already begun providing the families we serve with an extra shelf-stable bag of food to help keep their kitchens stocked. We’re making sure we have food on hand at the pantry in anticipation of the potential need for the next several weeks. We’re also making sure that we can staff the pantry and get the food to those who need it.
We are also working closely with our County government and nonprofit partners to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on those we serve, and those who may need food if our region is heavily impacted.
So keep washing your hands, keep doing what you can to reduce risk of disease transmission, and keep thinking positive. We appreciate your continued support of our neighbors in need and we will call on our donors when needed in the coming weeks.

A marathon AND a sprint….

Posted on by Threshold Media

Loudoun Hunger Relief is moving forward to meet the growing need. Every day brings a new challenge. The need for services is growing just at the time that we can’t allow volunteers in the building. We know this is a marathon, but we’re also having to accelerate at a sprinter’s pace to meet the demand for services.

Market Room use during COVID-19 crisis

Market Room before COVID-19 crisis

Market Room use during COVID-19 crisisWe planned for this crisis, and our emergency planning has served us well.  We’ve kept pace so far, and we’re working to make sure we can keep it up in the weeks (hopefully not months!) to come.

Our service numbers are up 50% in just three weeks. So many seeking services are newly unemployed–it’s truly heartbreaking. We expect that our service numbers will be up again this week. Each “number” is a family with a job loss or reduction in hours to cope with. We hurt for each of them and for our community.

On the bright side, we live in an incredibly generous place and donors have been helping us keep this ship moving forward. So many have supplied food and monetary donations, as well as sent lovely encouraging notes via email, snail mail or social media.

We thank everyone for the support, and the positive messages! Keep it coming!

 

It’s a new day

Posted on by Threshold Media

It’s a new day in so many ways in our world right now. At Loudoun Hunger Relief, we are continuing to adapt to the needs of our community, the constraints of operating under CDC guidelines, and all the change that is coming each day.

Just when it feels heaviest, something always happens to lighten the load. It might be a kind note, a generous donation, or an offer of help from someone who has little themselves. This double rainbow appeared in the sky last night. We know the storm is far from over, but we are grateful to have been offered a little light in the middle of it.

Stay safe and well. And stay at home unless you need to get food or medicine.