We want to start today’s update by thanking all of our volunteers for showing up day after day to serve those in need. Understandably, we have had some volunteers back out of their scheduled delivery, generally because they fall within a high-risk category. As a volunteer, you know the importance of the service we provide, not just a nutritious meal, but the daily safety check. Most of our clients have no other resources available to them, so they rely on us to bring them a nutritious meal and check up on them for the day. For that selfless service, we are truly grateful.
One In – One Out
As we’ve communicated over the past few days, we are in regular contact with Tarrant County Public Health Department and look to them for guidance on best practices and the latest CDC recommendations. With that in mind, we are updating our policies related to meal distribution sites and how you pick up your meals.
Effective tomorrow, March 20, 2020, we will implement a One In – One Out policy for our distribution sites. Volunteers will be asked to enter the room one at a time to pick up meals. The site volunteer(s) will also be in the room. Having only the site volunteer(s) and one meal-delivery volunteer in a room at a time, practicing the social distancing guidelines of 6’ between people, will further reduce the risk of infection. Once a volunteer leaves the room with their meals, the next volunteer may enter the room.
Let’s face it, volunteers are fun and caring people. Often, our volunteers like to show up early and catch up with their friends. For now, we are asking all volunteers not to congregate in the meal-distribution site. Your health and safety are our highest priority, so we appreciate your compliance with this new policy.
Hand Sanitizer
Many of you continue to ask about the availability of hand sanitizer. As most of you know, it is in short supply. We are working hard to find hand sanitizer and will let you know when it becomes available. In the meantime, use your own if you have it. If you don’t have any, you might want to make your own. Here’s a simple recipe for making your own hand sanitizer.
- ¾ cup of 99% isopropyl or rubbing alcohol. If you use 70%, add 1/3 more
- ¼ cup of Aloe Vera Gel (to help keep hands smooth and to counteract the harshness of alcohol)
- 10 drops of essential oil, such as lavender oil, or you can use lemon juice instead. This step is optional.
Thank you, again, for taking such good care of our clients!