Friday, October 9, 2020

A Strong Safety Net


For a moment, listen if you have time to help with two services that are vital to Fairfield and are having problems with manpower.  

The Clothes Line on West Main is a valuable resource for people in need of used and inexpensive clothing. It was established  35 years ago and requires workers to sort and sell used clothing. Lots of people shop the Clothes Line.

Another service to the area is the First United Methodist Church’s Food Pantry. It serves a healthy number of meals to people living at Fairway Apartments and the High Rise.

The two services have something  in common. They are watching their regular help get overworked. And let’s be delicate about this…some of them are getting old enough that the rigorous activity is wearing them down.

Add the fear of COVID, and these vital elements of the safety net for folks in our town are getting stretched to their breaking point.

While the churches in town are responsible for staffing the Clothes Line, there is nothing excluding everyone who wants to help from taking part. The Clothes Line is not a money-maker. In fact, it barely gets by financially, even with all the help.

I guarantee you, there are people within the sound of my voice who are hungry. There are people who need coats and shirts and pants….all for a meager amount of money.

Dr. Loretta Scott once said: “We can’t help everyone…but everyone can help someone.”

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