Getting Creative
COVID-19 has created unique challenges to serving the community, but the volunteers at Compassion Network never shy away from a challenge. This group of women from Cedars Church wanted to meet the need of Anita, an elderly woman who recently experienced two strokes and was unable to use her left side. She needed help with cleaning and other house tasks. Due to guidelines with the pandemic, this women's group could not all go to Anita's house, but they still wanted to help. Their solution? To collectively hire cleaners and make an intentional effort to call and meet with Anita before and during the cleaning. Here is a snapshot of their experience:
Anita welcomed us into her home with hospitality and gratitude. She was teary-eyed behind her face mask and told us over and over how thankful she was for the help. Her apartment was cozy and full of light, and she insisted on making us Indian tea to welcome us in. As the cleaners got to work, we got a tour of her apartment. Anita showed off the family portraits on the wall, shared stories of all the adventurous places she'd lived, and opened up about how hard it is to live alone and not have any friends living nearby. She's not able to drive, and many of the agencies that she typically relied on for assistance had ended or been put on pause due to COVID. Before we left we told her, "You can't get away with saying you don't have friends in Fremont anymore....because now you have us!" We look forward to visiting her again......but next time we'll have a potluck!