Salvation Army provides meals to people who need to quarantine due to pandemic
By: Tina Detelj
Posted: Jan 20, 2021 / 03:46 PM EST / Updated: Jan 20, 2021 / 05:29 PM EST
NORWICH, Conn. (WTNH)– When people need to quarantine due to the pandemic, they really need to stay home and that can be difficult, especially for those who may not have access to everything they need to isolate for ten days.
Terry Dunn is a community resource coordinator with the TVCCA, the Thames Valley Council for Community Action. Today he continues his new duties during this pandemic.
“I usually make anywhere from four to six stops a day,” said Dunn.
Dunn is delivering boxes of food to families and individuals who have to quarantine.
“Often times there are family members that are quarantined together four, five, six, seven, eight people. So they need two or three deliveries within that time span,” said Dunn.
“Kind of some stockpile rices and staples, pastas,” said Jon-Paul Mandelburg, Director of Housing for the TVCCA, as he showed News 8 what was in each box.
The Salvation Army says they contain enough shelf stable food for 23 meals.
The food is provided by the Department of Agriculture and The Salvation Army, which overall has provided two and a half million meals through this program and others in Connecticut.
“Having that community support is incredible,” said Patrick McCormack, Director of the Uncas Health District.
Through contact tracing the Uncas Health District has identified the families who need to quarantine.
“Our hope as part of this project is to accommodate any need that they have that might otherwise prohibit them from being able to do so,” said Mandelburg. “For their immediate safety but also from the broader public health prospective.”
Depending on the family’s needs the folks with the TVCCA may also go to the St. Vincent De Paul Place food pantry in Norwich, where they can pick up some baby formula and diapers that they can deliver along with the food.
“They’ve even provided assistance with housing if someone is homeless,” said McCormack.
The Salvation Army tells News 8 it plans to provide another 65,000 meals to the state over the next three months.