VIDEO TRANSCRIPTION:

Jay Height:
Today brings a new day of challenges, but also great opportunities here at Shepherd community. Thanks to so many folks who are helping us, partner with us, help us provide resources so that we can support our families. Family support is one of the key five areas that we’re focusing on. While you see in the background folks are picking up food again, we’re doing much more than just food, we’re helping pay the bills. And thankful to a grant that we received through a consortium of funders that have gone together and is operated by United Way, we’re able to pay bills. And through other folks who are donating, we’re helping make sure that their utilities are being paid. The governor and mayor have said there can be no evictions. Unfortunately there’s some bad actors out there who are intimidating our families and we’re able to intervene. And we’re thankful that the mayor’s office has provided some support to make sure families know that. But in the meantime, we’re trying to make sure their bills are paid.

Jay Height:
There’s this gap. As soon as they can file for unemployment, it takes up a bit to be processed. And as families are waiting on the stimulus checks, there’s this gap that we’re trying to fill the need and make sure the very basic needs of shelter are taken care of. As you see this large parking lot here. One of the things that we’re working from as we have talked to our families and hear back from them is they need access to the internet. And so we’re creating our parking lots to be a hotspot. So families can come here. If they need to sign up for unemployment they can actually do it in their car. And many of them, most of them have cell phones, but the ability to connect to wifi, many of the places that they wouldn’t normally have gone to are not available.

Jay Height:
So we are doing this, doing everything we can, and we’re thankful for the partnership. We continue to need your help. We’re standing together six feet apart. For Jane and I, our prayers are for you and for our whole community and our country and our world during these very difficult days. But together we can make it. Thank you for your help and continue to reach out to your neighbor and love your neighbor.