Inter-Faith Council for Social Service

April 2020 COVID-19 Update

Thanks to dedicated staff and volunteers, IFC continues to operate during the coronavirus pandemic honoring all guidelines around safety and health. We could not do this work without the steadfast support of our community. Even through your own struggles, you are reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our community in this time of need. Thank you for your monetary gifts, grocery donations, handsewn face masks, personal notes and more. With gratitude, we wish you a warm and safe place to lay your head, an abundance of healthy food, and meaningful social connection. For 5 Ways You Can Help IFC during the COVID-19 pandemic, please click here. 

IFC is open – with significant modifications

  • In all programs, we are following recommended hand washing, cleaning and social distancing precautions.
  • Food Pantry is operating by appointment only. Staff and volunteers pre-pack grocery orders and meet members outside in the parking lot with their orders.
  • Emergency Financial Assistance appointments are being conducted by phone.
  • Community Kitchen is preparing to-go boxes.
  • Community House and HomeStart (shelters) are reconfiguring sleeping arrangements to maximize distance between people. As the need arises, we will arrange for separate sleeping quarters for people who need to be isolated or quarantined.
  • IFC is working closely with long-time partner Piedmont Health Services to ensure that, if shelter residents or staff develop symptoms, they are evaluated by medical personnel as soon as possible.
Context:
  1. For our neighbors who experience housing and food insecurity daily, the COVID-19 crisis is quickly exhausting their resources. We are seeing an increase in the use of our services, so gifts of money and food are more critical now than ever to meet basic needs and to promote the community's health and well-being.
  2. Because faith communities are not meeting and grocery stores don't have much extra right now, we’re depleting our supply of staples more quickly than normal. IFC provides meals for up to 225 people every day. We have some food supply, but it will not be replenished like normal because our regular donations from campus, grocery stores and restaurants are slowing or have stopped. We are working to identify funding to purchase low-cost, bulk meals from some local restaurants that are currently maintaining a skeleton staff. We will freeze these in reserve until needed in order to ensure that we can continue to supply nutritious meals for residents and members. Click here for 5 Ways You Can Help IFC during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  3. We are working closely with local government and partners to meet our community's needs. Fortunately, community response has been tremendous. The school systems mobilized quickly with congregations, community groups and government partners to provide meals to children who are out of school. TABLE is working hard to ensure that children receive their usual backpack food, delivered to their homes. PORCH has diverted some donations to IFC’s Food Pantry, given that they won’t be holding their usual meal sorting events. For 5 Ways You Can Help IFC during the COVID-19 pandemic, please click here.