This nonprofit is delivering essentials to seniors and the community during the coronavirus

Yet another impact of the coronavirus pandemic: More and more people on the Peninsula are finding themselves relying on food pantries or the kindness of neighbors for their daily sustenance.

Old, young, rich or poor, employed or jobless, the coronavirus has created uncertainty as the economy remains at a standstill, and for those trying to feed themselves and their families, even finding essential items like milk and toilet paper remains a challenge.

The Williamsburg Faith in Action, a nonprofit helping seniors in the Historic Triangle with free services like transportation, household chores and grocery store runs, recently launched a new initiative to deliver food pantry items to anyone in the Williamsburg area for free.

The pantry pick-up is “contactless” and volunteers deliver items directly to the person’s door.

“We’re affectionately calling ourselves the QuaranTEAM and our goal is to organize delivery to any homebound community member, no matter the age or reason,” Ashleigh Cooke, executive director for the Williamsburg Faith in Action, said in a prepared statement. “Whether it’s a senior who wants to stay home since they are at-risk, a mom of four who can’t leave the home, or an adult who doesn’t have access to transportation but is in need of food, we’re here to serve.”

The COVID-19 Community Collab is a partnership between Williamsburg Faith in Action, Arc of Greater Williamsburg, Grove Christian Outreach Center, Meals on Wheels, Peninsula Agency on Aging, The Village Initiative and Williamsburg House of Mercy, Cooke wrote.

Another program Williamsburg Faith in Action started is Supplies for Seniors, which delivers essential items such as toilet paper, prescriptions, food pickup and other services to any senior in the Williamsburg area.

“We realized that the seniors we serve don’t have the luxury many of us have of going to multiple stores tracking these items down, and we wanted to do something unique to serve them,” Cooke said. “Since we began collecting, we’ve collected over 200 rolls of toilet paper, over 100 rolls of paper towels, over 75 masks, and over 50 boxes of tissues.”

Other services available to seniors are phone visits and weekly or daily wellness checks by volunteers.

Those in need can call the Williamsburg Faith In Action office at 757-258-5890.

Want to help? You can donate toilet paper, paper towels, Kleenex, masks, gloves and cleaning products to the Williamsburg Faith in Action office, 354 McLaws Circle, Suite 1. For more information or to volunteer, call 757-258-5890 or email info@wfia.org.