Serving through Uncertain Times
2020 has been a game changer. If there was a plot, 2020 twisted it. If there was a thread, 2020 pulled it. While we all started the year with various goals and aspirations, 2020 — and more specifically COVID-19 — took even our best-laid plans and turned them on their heads.
But despite the ways our lives have been altered, one thing hasn’t changed: the needs of our community.
Though COVID-19 required us to come up with creative ways to serve our community in the midst of quarantine, our commitment to those we’ve come to know By Name has not wavered.
For the health of the community, through the early days of the pandemic, we made the decision to put our park events on hold but we still looked for ways to provide resources like food and hygiene items to those who had come to rely on us.
On June 6, we began to slowly resume our physical park events, though the implementation was still somewhat less hands-on. Armed with sandwiches, drinks, chips and cookies we pulled the trailer up outside the Dingle Street park and packaged up lunches to distribute to those who may need them.
While some of the community showed up for the meal, not everyone knew we were back in session. With extra meals to share, we decided to walk through the neighborhood surrounding Dingle Park and look for folks who might appreciate a sandwich and a cold drink.
As we walked through the neighborhood, it was heartening to see that many in the community recognized the faces of The By Name Project volunteers and welcomed us with smiles and fist bumps. It was a a great time to reconnect and let them know they weren't forgotten.
Though 2020 has brought many changes, the things that matter stay the same. Let's cling to what matters.
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The By Name Project's next meetup is scheduled for July 4, 2020 at 11:00 am. The event will feature a Fourth of July cookout for our community members.
The fourth of July event will be a time of fellowship and celebration. If you've never attended a Park Event and want to see what The By Name Project is all about, we welcome you to join us!