from National Director John Wilson …
What can your Division do during quarantine to help others in your community?
Donate to food pantries, or if you’d prefer to donate to your local food bank, give them a quick call first or check their website to see if it’s better to donate money or supplies to the organization. It’s a good idea to ask if there’s anything specific they need, like toilet paper or cleaning supplies, that they may need right now. Also consider donating to Meals on Wheels, which delivers both hot and frozen meals to seniors across the country.
There are nearly 22 million children in the U.S. relying on free or reduced-price meals provided at schools. Consider making a donation to No Kid Hungry, which has deployed $5 million in emergency grants to help provide meals for children as many schools across the country close.
When you go to the store reach out to your neighbors and ask if they need you to pick something up for them while they are in quarantine. Stay in touch with each other. Don’t let your friends and love ones feel alone.
If you are healthy and eligible to donate blood and feel you can get to a blood center safely, consider donating blood or plasma. This is especially important now since many blood drives scheduled across the country have been canceled due to the corona virus. Health organizations are in desperate need of blood, platelets, and plasma donations. There is currently no evidence that this respiratory disease can be transmitted by blood donation or transfusion.
Participate in the 2020 Census, which can be completed via the mailed form, online here (yes, for the first time ever, you can complete the census online!), or by phone. The census results will help determine how $650 billion dollars in federal funding is allocated, including for health care. Let them know you’re a proud Irish American on the census.
As you follow up on your Hibernian Brothers with the phone tree, find out what they need. Are they among the 6.6 million recent unemployed workers that, the Labor Department recently reported? As massive job losses continued to pile up due to the pandemic many of our Hibernian Brothers and Sisters found out they are now among the unemployed. Maybe when you call to check on your fellow Hibernian brothers, find out who is out of work and may need help with groceries or other needs from your Division Emergency Funds.
At the local level, the Missouri St. Charles Division during their virtual division meeting on April 8th voted to donate $210 to purchase an appliance for a family in need. Each month member Bernie McNamee goes to the local food pantry and finds out how the Division can support someone by purchasing a new or slightly used appliance, tires or anything else for under $250. They also approved a donation to the Sts. Joachim and Ann Care Service and All Saints Parish of $500 each to support their Food Pantry’s .( See photos’ attached)
A check was approved for $250 and a donation was made by a member of $350 to support children in the St. Charles area who are doing without school lunches. This was funded through Community Foundation of the Ozarks.
Attn: Zach Clapper
PO Box 8960
Springfield, MO 65801
The check was made out to Care to Learn – St. Charles
The Division was cooking a meal once a month at “Youth In Need”, a local shelter for troubled youths in St. Charles. Due to the restriction of the Covid-19 pandemic they are currently purchasing ready to eat meals and dropping them off at the home. (See Picture)
