2020 has almost come to an end, and what a strange year! The news was full of weather-related issues and fires due to climate change. We saw political divisiveness unknown in our lifetime.
The biggest issue of the year was COVID-19. That brought business closures and skyrocketing unemployment. Stay at home orders. Mask wearing. School shut-downs and online learning. Essential workers who had to work long hours, often with no extra benefits, pay, or protective equipment. Illness and death of many of our friends and family members.
2020 was a year of experimentation as we tried to find better ways to cope with uncertainty.
Here in Box Butte County we have seen new and expanded programs to help those in need. Alliance Public Transit has been providing free rides for several months, although that is slated to end January 1. The CARES Act offered payroll protection funding to keep small businesses afloat. The Department of Agriculture had CFAP funds for ag producers. The Department of Labor had expanded unemployment benefits and new programs to help people find jobs. Nebraska passed Medicaid Expansion, covering thousands more with health insurance. Programs are in place to help with rent and utility assistance. Northwest Community Action Partnership and United Way can help people connect with those.
Our schools shut their doors to students in March, with everyone trying online learning. Teachers tried so many ways to reach students via different platforms. Some worked; some didn’t. We’ve returned to the classroom, used Zoom options, hybrid learning, masks v no masks. Teachers and students have been quarantined. Activities have been curtailed. Educators are still struggling to find what works, as traditional school has been upended.
Our church, St. John’s Lutheran, originally had services with spacing and mask requirements. Then we tried drive-in worship, where we all sat in our vehicles and tuned our radios to a certain frequency to hear what was happening on the flatbed in front. We had neighborhood pop-up services in people’s front yards. Then we watched a live stream every week on Facebook. Now we are back to services with spacing and mask requirements combined with the Facebook stream. Every church has been trying to meet the challenge of offering ways to worship.
The Task Force on Poverty has focused most of our attention on food insecurity. Thankfully we have seen expanded government programs and generous giving by area businesses and individuals. Area agencies have been able to write for grants to offer more.
For many years Alliance churches provided Christmas baskets to families in need. United Way has taken over the coordination of this program, working with churches. Northwest Community Action Partnership, Grocery Kart, Safeway, Harris Sales, Western Potatoes, and Gregory’s Insurance donated food. AHS wrestlers and RSVP provided volunteers. Individuals donated funds through United Way or their churches. Last week 292 Christmas Food Boxes were distributed to families; 703 people received food. Children could get gloves, hats, and socks, and those under age 8 got a Beanie Baby stuffed animal.
The United Way also organized food boxes in November, which included a turkey from Safeway for Thanksgiving.
Even with venues closed, holiday meals have been offered to those in need. On Christmas Day Whitney Baldwin and friends served take-home ham dinners to over 200 people from the back door of the Masonic Center. The traditional Thanksgiving turkey meal offered by the Boyles through People Helping People fed over 600. An Easter meal of beef stroganoff was provided to more than 300 people by Box Butte County Democrats through Community Table.
Community Table has made major adjustments. Social distancing requirements caused them to close the dining area, and all meals are picked up from the back door of the Masonic Center. In the spring, 300 people were being served daily. Numbers are now 60-80 meals a day. People might receive hot meals, soup, or sandwich sack lunches depending on the volunteers of the day. Area businesses and individuals continue to donate items to be prepared and served.
The schools, through the USDA lunch program, prepared grab and go meals for all children last spring. This year all the schools have free breakfast and lunch for all students.
The Alliance Senior Center delivers around 60 meals daily to senior citizens.
NCAP’s Extra Helpings Food Pantry has received generous donations and grants and has been able to purchase more food from the Food Bank of the Heartland to serve people with food insecurity in our area.
The USDA developed the Farmers to Families Food Box program. They purchased produce, meal and dairy products originally planned for restaurants and had them repackaged for distribution in communities throughout America this summer. A form of this program has continued through Community Cares, with food box deliveries twice a month through February.
Yes, 2020 has been a difficult year. But we have learned so much. Companies are beginning to roll out a vaccine for COVID. And those who have not been hit by the problems the year has given us have been especially generous in helping to meet the needs of those who have been less fortunate.