When someone in the congregation tested positive for the coronavirus in March, members of a New Jersey church delivered a box of food, toilet paper and disinfectant supplies to the family’s door.
A Crawfordsville church is doing the same for Montgomery County residents directly impacted by COVID-19, joining a growing network of faith communities across the U.S. bringing essential supplies to people who can’t leave their homes.
“We’re trying to do all that we can just to kind of give people hope,” said Chris Cregger, lead pastor of Crosspoint Fellowship.
Cregger, who was in college with the New Jersey pastor who started the drive, helped make the first local deliveries Wednesday. Boxes of Hope partners with nearly 60 churches in at least 19 states, and one other Indiana church in Noble County has joined the cause.
The boxes are delivered to people diagnosed with COVID-19, self-isolating or caring for an at-risk family member.
“Our first priority is those that are quarantined because we want them to be able to stay home for a couple days,” Cregger said.
The boxes, which were purchased with a discount from Home Depot, include non-perishable food donated by Midwest Food Bank. Crawfordsville Paper Products, which supplies Crosspoint, gave the church a discount on toilet paper.
To practice social distancing, groups of three to four people pack the boxes and the loading area is sanitized according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Cregger said.
No-contact deliveries are made on the person’s doorstep.
To receive a box, go to www.getboxesofhope.com or call or text “hope” to 765-203-1654.
