Coronavirus Response: United Church Outreach Ministry
UCOM volunteers are working hard to meet the increased need.
To date, Heart of West Michigan United Way has granted $2.3 million to 123 Kent County agencies from the Coronavirus Response Fund. One of those agencies is United Church Outreach Ministry (UCOM) on Grand Rapids’ southwest side.
With thousands in Kent County out of work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, UCOM and other agencies are seeing a big increase in the number of families seeking assistance. In March alone, 83 new households approached UCOM seeking assistance.
According to development director Karrie Brown, 46% of those new households included children under 18, and 29% had members over 60. At UCOM, these families are receiving boxes of groceries, including fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, eggs, and dairy products, so they can keep food on the table.
“We have the food available because of United Way and other supporters,” Brown said.
UCOM has partnered with the Hispanic Center of Western Michigan to spread the word about the service at the daily food distributions they’ve begun hosting with support from the Coronavirus Response Fund. A referral from a trusted agency like the Hispanic Center goes a long way toward putting some immigrant families at ease about seeking help from an agency they’ve never contacted before.
“They are sharing with community members that UCOM is a sanctuary organization and a place that can be trusted to turn to for help,” Brown said.
But UCOM provides more than just food. Their staff and intake volunteers also offer a listening ear at a time of great anxiety and stress.
Brown shared a story of a woman who called UCOM to receive food. The woman’s birthday was coming up, but, because of the virus, she wasn’t going to be able to celebrate with friends and family. The team at UCOM sprang into action and hid a few surprises in her food box. When the woman opened it at home, she called to share her gratitude.
“In addition to the meals she requested, there was a birthday cake, flowers, and a small package of brightly colored dishes,” Brown said. “It meant so much to her to have someone hear her lament and go the extra mile to help her feel special in a scary time.”
Right now, UCOM is finding ways to maintain that human connection, to make neighbors who are anxious, scared, or lonely feel cared about. In the long run, that may be just as important as the food they’re providing.
“We are able to keep going, to feed 83 additional households in a month and treat each person who calls as if they are a member of our family, because we have the best staff and volunteers in the world,” Brown said.
“We love this community and have faith it will come through this challenging time stronger than ever.”