There are over 500,000 people in Metro Richmond that are part of a local church! There is no other institution as far reaching as the Church when it is united! Together, we reach into every neighborhood in Chesterfield, Henrico, Hanover and the City of Richmond.
As we shelter in place, imagine if each one of us took it upon ourselves to pray for and reach out to every person on our block or in our apartment building. Together, we could ensure that every man, woman and child in this city we love is cared for during these trying times.
In addition to this, we’re coordinating daily between churches, nonprofits and government entities to make sure we’re effectively and safely meeting the needs of our community.
Our strategy is simple:
Resources for Church Leaders
Establish a Church Response Staff & Register
Once you’ve identified the individual who will serve as your church’s Response Staff, please fill out this form so that he or she can join the email list for the locality or localities your church is serving.
In addition to emails, this individual will be invited to participate in weekly calls:
Monday @ 1:30: Richmond City
Tuesday @ 2:00: Henrico
Wednesday @ 1:30: Chesterfield
Thursday @ 1:30: Hanover
Intake Form Suggestions
Every church has a different process for receiving requests for help from their members. Whether it’s a form on your website or a request by phone, we suggest collecting the following information:
Name of Church Member Making Request
Contact Information
Name of Neighbor in Need
Contact Information
Nature of Need:
Food
Baby Supplies
Childcare
Medicine
Transportation
Mortgage/Rent
Other Bills
Social Interaction
Counseling/Prayer
Death in the Family
Other
Brief & Specific Description of the Above Listed Need
Date Needed
Church Decision/Action:
Assign to Staff Member
Assign to Church Volunteer
Fund Need
Refer to For Richmond Locality Team for Support
CDC Resources for Faith-Based Organizations
Check out these guidelines and resources for faith-based response.
Resources for Church Members
Tips for How to Love Your Neighbor
Join the Love Your Neighbor Metro Richmond Campaign here: www.forrichmond.org/loveyourneighbor
Social Distancing is necessary in light of the threat of the coronavirus and COVID-19. Let’s embrace these measures for the sake of our neighbors whose immune systems aren’t as strong. Loving Our Neighbors is also important and we thought we would throw out a few ideas to inspire you to love well in the midst of uncertainty:
1. Make a list of your neighbors – the neighbors on your block and the folks in your broader network. Take 5 minutes to think about who might need your help right now.
2. Do you have a 65+ neighbor? Call, text, or knock and keep a safe distance and ask if they need anything – groceries, a prescription refilled, a good book to read to pass the day.
3. Do you have a nurse, doctor, EMT or a first responder in your life? Mow their lawn while they’re at work. It one less thing for them to think about and a simple way to show you care.
4. Do you have working parents with school-aged children who need childcare support now that schools are closed? Offer to watch their kids for a day. Ask other neighbors if they would be willing to help too.
5. Do you have a sick neighbor that is quarantining him or herself? Call or text to find out what they might need and leave it on their doorstep so they can access it without exposing you to sickness.
6. Do you know someone in a nursing home or hospital who no longer is allowed to have visitors? Give them a call and let them know they’re not alone.
7. Do you have neighbors or friends who struggle with anxiety? Check in on them and encourage them to embrace self-care strategies like limiting social media and news consumption. If they are open to prayer, pray with them.
8. Do you know a family that struggles with food insecurity? Share some of the groceries you picked up for own family.
9. Do you have Asian-American neighbors? Many are experiencing a lot of ignorant comments and racism right now. Talk to your kids about why that’s wrong and if you hear others saying racist things, gently but firmly confront it.
10. Are you a block captain or an admin on a neighborhood message board? Use your existing network to reach out and see if there are neighbors in need.
In all these things, pray, and experience the peace that surpasses understanding.
Sample Email or Letter to Neighbors
Hello,
My name is Jack Smith, and I live at 1407 Graymalkin Lane with my wife Jill and our two kids. I hope you’re doing okay in these uncertain times.
I wanted to let you know that we would like to offer help in any way that we’re able. That might look like picking up prescriptions at the drugstore for people over the age of 60. That might look like meeting on the sidewalk (at a safe distance) for a conversation and some social interaction for people feeling isolated. Or perhaps it might look like directing you to resources we know of for things that we can’t personally help with.
We’re connected to a church, which is in turn connected with a broad network of hundreds churches, non-profits, and government agencies across the city that is working together to share resources to help those in need. If we’re not able to help you personally, we can reach out to others in our network to see if there’s a way we can find help. We can’t promise that we can meet every need, but we can do our best.
My phone number is 804-123-4567. Please feel free to call me day or night if there’s an emergency, but I tend to go to bed early, so I’d prefer to receive calls before it gets late. On a personal note, I enjoy growing vegetables in my garden, playing board games, and walking the wooded trails in Bryan Park. I think we’ll all be seeing more of each other as many of us are working from home, so I look forward to saying “Hi” across the street in the weeks to come.
Jack