Serving At A Social Distance

Today is Friday, July 10th. Something exciting is happening in Columbus, MS. Lions are serving.

Lions from several clubs near Columbus partnered with United Way of Lowndes County. They are giving away food to Lowndes County residents in a safe and socially distanced environment. Let’s explain that.

On Thursday (yesterday) a group of volunteers unloaded a number of pallets containing non-perishable food. To simplify it, let’s say they unloaded a pallet of canned green beans. They unloaded a pallet of lima beans. They unloaded a pallet of green peas. They unloaded a pallet of black-eyed peas. They unloaded a pallet of corn. They unloaded a pallet of carrots.

Volunteers then filled individual plastic grocery bags with one can of each. They placed those bags in a large empty box. As the pallets became bare, the large boxes filled. That was Thursday.

On Friday, the recipients of that food drove to the designated starting place and formed a line. A volunteer gave each car driver a request form. The driver then drove to the next spot on the line. Another volunteer reviewed the form. The driver had to prove Lowndes County residency. An acceptable proof is a current utility bill. The name on the bill had to match the name on the driver license.

The driver then drove to the next spot. There a volunteer placed a number of the windshield. That number stated the family size. A family of four receives twice the amount of food as a family of two. The driver pulls up on the line.

Another volunteer asks the driver to open the trunk. The driver the moves up in the line again.

A volunteer places a certain non-perishable food in the open trunk. It might be that bag or canned goods. The driver moves up on the line.

The next stop is for bottled water. The driver moves to the next spot.

There the family receives other types of non-perishable produce such as onions or sweet potatoes. Once again, the driver moves to the next spot.

At another spot the family receives some basic household supplies like toilet paper, dishwashing detergent, sponges, paper towels, etc. That may be the final stop. There could be one more.

Depending on family composition, as evidenced by the form they completed earlier, a family could receive diapers for infant members.

Finally, a volunteer closes the car trunk. The driver safely returns home.

During the entire process, all volunteer wear face masks and latex gloves. Contact between the volunteers and recipients is minimal. The recipient never leaves the car.

This is how Lions serve others while maintaining social distancing.


We Serve because Kindness Matters 

Lion Andy Kalinowski (Andy K)
District Governor
662.549.3421 

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