(File photo/northeastNOW staff)

By Angie Rolheiser

COVID-19

Melfort Salvation Army determining how to assist most vulnerable in the community

Mar 17, 2020 | 12:00 PM

UPDATE:

It was announced as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Salvation Army Thrift Stores will be closed all across Canada until April 1st.

“All of our family services operations will continue,” Melfort Salvation Army Captain Rick Robins said. “Our church door will also be open for people that may need help, our staff will be there to assist.”

The church door will be open from 9:30 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday.

All of the National Recycling Centres in the larger cities such as Saskatoon and Regina have also been closed.

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The Melfort Salvation Army is working to continue with their mission to help the most vulnerable in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, Captain Rick Robins announced their regular outpost lunch on Wednesday would be cancelled this week, but he is hopeful a plan can be made to help the 60 to 80 people that typically utilize it.

Robins said he would also like to help with discouraging all of the panic buying happening at stores across the country and in the community.

“That effects the vulnerable people the most because they are the ones that can’t afford to panic buy,” Robins said. “They end up suffering more because when they go to get something they need, there is nothing left.”

Helping others in the community includes not panic buying so everyone gets what they need.

“We don’t need more than we need, the trucks haven’t stopped coming,” Robins said.

All Sunday worship services at the Salvation Army across the territory have been cancelled until April 30. There will be a live stream of services on the Melfort Salvation Army Facebook page for those that would like to tune in whether they are regular attendees or not.

More details on the Wednesday lunches will be announced on their Facebook page as well.

“Our plan is that we will still be making food but it’s how we will disperse it,” Robins said. “Either to pick-up their lunch or maybe volunteers to deliver if needed.”

Those details are still to be ironed out right now, according to Robins.

“We will use this week to plan and prepare for the weeks ahead and we will reach out to community partners as the need arises,” Robins explained.

The Salvation Army wants to make sure they can still help those they were already helping and lend a hand to those who are now faced with extra challenges such as kids being home from school.

“A lot of our vulnerable people, their kids were on school lunch programs and now they have to prepare lunches for their kids making more food being needed for them,” Robins said.

As of right now, Robins said they may have to utilize their emergency community response unit to possibly set-up a lunch in different parts of the community. There are no definite plans in place just yet.

“It all comes back to the health authority and what we are able to do and what we are allowed to do and try to work within that and around that,” Robins said.

He hopes the community does take the COVID-19 situation seriously and comply with the recommendations coming from the province.

“If nothing happens, that is a good thing, that means it worked and that is the thing to remember,” Robins said. “We need to have respect and we have a responsibility to each other in our community as a community.”

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angie.rolheiser@jpbg.ca

On Twitter:@Angie_Rolheiser