How charities in the richest county in the U.S. cope with COVID-19
A volunteer at the Virginia-based charity Tree of Life, one of the few ministries still providing in-person services and food deliveries, prepares to fill a van with meals to deliver to people affected by the pandemic. Photo courtesy of Tree of Life.
LEESBURG, Va. — It’s a Tuesday night and volunteers at Tree of Life Ministries would normally be preparing to serve sit-down dinners to 70 low-income families at Crossroads Baptist Church in Leesburg, just outside Washington, D.C.
Now, constrained by executive order, fewer than 10 volunteers serve over 250 families to-go meals from two lanes in the church’s parking lot, which Tree of Life Regional Director Isabel Mayer says is often more crowded than the infamous Leesburg Chick-Fil-A drive-through.
Tree of Life is based in Loudoun County, the richest county in the U.S., with an average household income of over $120,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau data. Loudoun’s proximity to Washington D.C. and Dulles Airport has made it the home of some of the fastest-growing businesses in the country and the home of many federal employees.
In Loudoun County, where modernist McMansions and historic downtowns usually obscure trailer parks and low-income housing, COVID-19 is causing pockets of poverty to overflow.
For local faith-based charities, it is becoming difficult to catch all needs.
Even after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the subway-sleeping homeless "disgusting," charities have been working to meet the increasing need for care—despite dwindling availability of volunteers and resources.
“People you would never think are needing food, are needing rent,” Mayer said. “There’s a phase of folks who are reaching out for the first time, because they’ve been laid off, and we’re expecting many more in the months to come.”
Pandemic causing economic hardships
As the COVID-19 pandemic locks people in their homes and out of their jobs, more people than ever are relying on charities to fill basic needs. Tree of Life has especially seen a rise in demand from undocumented persons, Mayer said. Individuals who would not have asked for food a month ago are now revealing their status to get food.
While this is a new population for Tree of Life, Mayer said, referencing the Biblical stories of Ruth and The Good Samaritan, “The Bible is our guide. It doesn’t matter your position politically. We are to help immigrants.”
But nonprofits are hard-pressed to meet the rising demand for love.
Tree of Life is one of few ministries still providing in-person services and food deliveries, thanks to their status as a designated emergency food pantry. Even they are prohibited from gathering more than 10 people in one room.
Other charities face even tighter constraints. At Good Shepherd Alliance, Inc. a Christian non-profit that provides emergency and transitional housing services, “We can’t allow volunteers to enter stores or offices,” Nick Thayer, a case manager, said.
Many volunteers at Good Shepherd are older and therefore at an elevated risk from COVID-19.
At the same time, many of Good Shepherd’s current residents are struggling more than usual. Many residents are fearful of losing their jobs, and others have underlying health conditions that prevent them from performing day-to-day activities like grocery shopping.
The result: face-to-face services are risky for both residents and volunteers, daily errands now fall to the small case management staff, and many central activities have been cut.
A women’s Bible Study, once an opportunity for Good Shepherd residents to share prayer requests and receive emotional support, has been suspended, along with some job training and placement programs that rely on volunteers.
Case management sessions now take place remotely, but remote activities are difficult for residents who don’t have the computers they need for face-to-face meetings.
Good Shepherd and Tree of Life aren’t the only ones facing challenges. A 2018 Urban Institute paper reported that 40 percent of all non-profits rely on volunteers. Religious organizations particularly have a lot to lose as the organizations typically receive the most hours of volunteer work.
FAITH, a Muslim charity based in neighboring Fairfax County, paused its food pantry and office operations.
In a statement on their website, FAITH announced, “When most places are shutting their doors, we will continue to work hard to keep up with the demand of providing monetary support for families in need, who are out of work and running out of cash to pay for necessities.”
Though difficult, Thayer enjoys the opportunity to serve during such a trying time. Plus, he said, “It’s a nice change of pace to do the physical labor.”
A Tree of Life volunteer fills the back of a pickup truck in Virginia. Photo courtesy of Tree of Life.
Finding the charitable spirit through faith
Olivia McLaughlin, another Good Shepherd case manager, finds comfort and motivation in her faith. COVID-19 reminds her that “The thing about the world around us is that it is finite,” she said, but “God offers us eternal joy and peace.” McLaughlin wants her clients to find the same peace she has. “My knowledge and awareness of God and His great love motivates me to serve my clients [and our community] better.”
Mayer also finds hope in the challenges of coronavirus. Trials allow her to share love and faith with more people while helping meet her neighbor’s needs.
While those at home cannot eliminate the labor problem, there are many other ways to support charities like Tree of Life, Good Shepherd, and FAITH.
Volunteers for Tree of Life packing meals for pick-ups. Photo courtesy of Tree of Life.
There are still virtual and limited-contact volunteer opportunities. Tree of Life, for example, needs drivers to drop off three to four weeks of food at partner homes and is especially in need of Spanish-speaking volunteers to translate and build relationships with their clients, who they call their “partners.”
Many churches have drop-off trucks for food pantry donations. “We are still collecting food, constantly,” Mayer said.
More importantly, charities need monetary support. For Good Shepherd, money and gift cards are more useful than food donations, Thayer explained, because they allow the charity to exercise pecuniary discretion. Plus, gift cards are sanitary. They limit the number of people who have touched the supplies given to clients.
Charities, such as hospitals, also need protective gear in the fight against the virus like masks and gloves to protect staff, volunteers and clients.
Finally, for Virginians unsure where their skills fit, Loudoun Cares connects clients and volunteers with local faith-based organizations.
Mayer is grateful for everything the community has given so far. “The overwhelming love and giving we’ve been receiving has been great because of the overwhelming need,” she said.
To those who wish to help out or donate, she said to always remember: “Nothing is too small.”
Kathryn Caswell is a recent graduate of The King’s College in New York City.