COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on communities worldwide. In rural communities like those in Perry County, the health and economic impacts of the virus have only exacerbated existing struggles. Sowing Seeds of Hope has been committed to standing in the gap to provide our neighbors with information, supplies, and encouragement throughout the coronavirus crisis.
Between March 16 and March 28, Sowing Seeds of Hope provided 1,234 lunches for children who were unexpectedly out of school. The local public school system began coordinating meals for any Perry County resident under 18 the following week. Sowing Seeds of Hope has continued to provide emergency food assistance upon request to families who are experiencing additional food insecurity as a result of the virus. In October, we began delivering lunches to seniors in the community to provide encouragement and social interaction to help prevent loneliness and depression.
We began a large-scale effort to distribute fabric masks to essential employees and other at-risk members of our community in April. We have now distributed over 300 washable fabric facemasks and 500 disposable facemasks to adults in the community. We also gave each kindergarten through third grade student in the county a reusable face mask.
On May 28, Sowing Seeds of Hope partnered with the Black Belt Community Foundation and local nonprofits and elected officials to distribute 1,000 boxes of fresh produce in Perry County. On August 14, we received and distributed 500 boxes of refrigerated food, which included chicken, dairy products, and produce. In November, we distributed over 2,500 similar boxes to Perry County residents. These distributions were part of the USDA Farmers to Families Food Box Program.
Through relief funds from First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa, Sowing Seeds of Hope was able to create, order, and place COVID-19 awareness signs in various parts of Perry County. The first twenty signs were placed on June 22. Ten more were placed during the last week of July, and another ten were placed in August.
On July 27, we distributed fifty Coronavirus Care Kits to seniors in Perry County. Each kit contained hand sanitizer, tissues, and disposable face masks, as well as other items. Many of the supplies for the kits were donated by alumni of Lincoln Normal School through The Lincolnite Club, Inc. The hand sanitizer was purchased through a gift from First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa, and additional funding was provided by the Black Belt Community Foundation. In November, similar supply kits were distributed to more than twenty local churches.
For the past several months, Sowing Seeds of Hope has been compiling resource lists, updated information on COVID-19 cases, and reminders about prevention strategies on our website and across our social media platforms. We have received many positive responses for members of our community who are thankful to have accurate information that is easily accessible and specific to our area. We are using our weekly radio show to share information about coronavirus and have recently made two public service announcements, which are currently airing.
Funding from a number of organizations has allowed Sowing Seeds of Hope to provide emergency food, medication, and utility assistance to families who have been diagnosed with COVID-19. This assistance has literally been life-saving.
We are thankful for our partners at the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship, the Black Belt Community Foundation, the Alabama Governor’s Task Force, and First Presbyterian Church of Tuscaloosa, as well as many individual donors, who have made these efforts financially possible.
Sowing Seeds of Hope is currently seeking funds to continue our ongoing education and prevention efforts in Perry County. In addition, the requested funds will help make our building safe to allow clients to return. This will allow us to resume our face-to-face delivery of programs to address education, healthcare, economic development, and housing. We are eager to create safe space in which to assist children and parents with virtual learning, as well as reinstate our weekly computer classes, which provide resume building and job search opportunities for members of our community.
