BARRHEAD - A Barrhead pastor and a few other people in his congregation have created a Facebook page where people can go to find reliable information about the services that businesses, organizations and individuals are providing to help people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bob Jones, interim pastor at Barrhead Bethel Pentecostal Church, created the “Barrhead Community Response To COVID-19” page on March 15. Others involved in the effort include Bethel family ministries coordinator Teresa Kristel and Karen Taylor.
"All of us are better than one of us in having the ability to either share information that would be helpful to the community or ask for help from the community," he said, noting the page is getting more popular as time goes on.
As of this writing (March 31), the public page has swelled to 232 members. However, Jones believes the number of people who visit the page is much higher.
"We are trying to help people with their mental health, (provide tips) to help parents cope with being at home with their kids, (advice) how to get food … and connect people with resources that they might not know are out there," he said.
In addition to giving people a chance to learn about resources that are available to them, Jones said the social media page gives residents another way to connect with others who are self-isolating.
He added that people are starting to feel isolated from staying at home all the time, either because they have exhibited cold-like symptoms or are limiting their public contact due to the restrictions put on the public by Alberta Health Services (AHS).
"It's another place where people can offer support to their fellow residents so they won't feel isolated or vulnerable during this time," Jones said.
He also noted it gives people a chance to volunteer, saying many residents are looking for ways to help, but because the majority of not-for-profit organizations have either cancelled or drastically scaled back their operations, they no longer have an avenue to help.
Although people have shared a lot of good information, Jones said he is hoping more professionals, especially in the field of mental health and health care, join the page and start sharing information about best practices.
"Individuals and businesses that might have a product or a creative idea to share — anything that might help people get through this period — are also welcome," he said.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
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