This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.
Caring for the Community Starts with Us--by Pamela Curtis
I’m sure you’ve seen it: grocery stores devoid of food, drug stores emptied of sanitizers, online outlets not able to ship products for weeks, if at all. This crisis caught most of us unaware. One day we were looking forward to the beginning of spring, the next day we were looking for anyone who still sold toilet paper.
It wasn’t just individuals and families caught unaware. Our local organizations that care for us were also surprised. Food banks, long-term care facilities, and other public service outfits now have new demands they didn’t expect.
But Longmont is a community that cares, and many have risen to the call, making homemade masks, collecting donations to give away to their neighbors, and volunteering their time and businesses to provide for our city.
To assist with these wonderful grass-roots efforts, Longmont Public Media is collecting information on our local institutions that need your help, and are that are providing help. This list will be updated regularly.
Longmont United Hospital - okay at the moment, no home-made masks accepted, no new volunteers (they had to send their current set of volunteers home for safety purposes)
UC Health Longs Peak Hospital - 1750 E. Ken Pratt Blvd - needs packaged N95 mask donations (no home-made masks), doctor’s gowns, no new volunteers (they also had to send their current set of volunteers home for safety purposes)
Brookdale Longterm Care - no needs right now
Synergy Home Care - 2919 17th Ave - needs packaged surgical gloves & hand sanitizer
The Our Center - 220 Collyer St - needs home-made masks, hand sanitizer, sanitizing wipes, non-perishable food, TP, shampoo, tooth paste, soap, other personal hygiene items/feminine products
Community Food Share - serving Longmont, located at 650 S Taylor Ave, Louisville CO 80027 - needs donations of funds to purchase food, volunteers wanted to help box food for area families (volunteer sign-up available at their website: https://communityfoodshare.volunteerhub.com/account/signin)
John Nichols (2210 Longs Peak Ave) - providing a local supply kiosk, free to anyone who needs, no need to knock - taking donations of TP, toiletries, hand sanitizer & cleaning supplies, no food
Longmont Shuttle - willing to help people in need with rides and deliveries, call Simon Chen or Rusty at 720-223-5474
If you are a Longmont organization with a need, or if your business is supplying for local needs, and you want to be a part of this list, contact Pamela Curtis 303-667-4233 or [email protected].
