Audio story by Mike Tripp for WMRA (NPR) radio.
An activist group called 50 Ways Rockbridge is working to connect people into a network to help one another during the Covid-19 pandemic. WMRA’s Mike Tripp reports.
Members of 50 Ways Rockbridge take to the streets during a march in Lexington.
CREDIT COURTESY 50 WAYS ROCKBRIDGE
“Research, Educate, Act” is a slogan on the website 50 Ways Rockbridge – a group of concerned citizens from Rockbridge County working together on major political issues. But these days the cause is not political.
ELLEN MAYOCK: In the past 10 days as the COVID-19 pandemic has become more and more acute, our board decided that we have the infrastructure to offer at least some kind of help.
Ellen Mayock is a board member for 50 Ways Rockbridge.
CREDIT COURTESY WASHINGTON & LEE UNIVERSITY
Board member Ellen Mayock says that’s done through the 50 Ways Rockbridge website.
MAYOCK: And so anybody in the community can fill that out to either offer their services or request help in some form.
Of course, not everyone has Internet.
MAYOCK: Or people can call 801-609-HELP.
They also created a Facebook group. Mayock says the response on the website has been inspiring.
MAYOCK: Since we just opened that up about a week ago, now we have over a hundred volunteers and we’ve had about 15 to 20 individual requests for help.
At a meeting for 50 Ways Rockbridge.
CREDIT COURTESY 50 WAYS ROCKBRIDGE
And how are people helping?
MAYOCK: As of right now, people are offering to deliver groceries, medical supplies or at least insure that people who are living alone are doing ok. And we believe that we might need more people to be willing to make phone calls to do phone check-ins on the elderly, the infirm and / or people who are alone.
For WMRA News, I’m Mike Tripp.