Kindness covers some county needs

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Whether it’s delivering groceries, making hospital masks or throwing a fundraiser, Flandreau residents are helping their community during the COVID-19 virus.
At Maynard’s, Mike Witte and crew are taking grocery orders by phone, shopping for their customers and boxing them up for either home delivery or curbside pickup.
“We want them to stay safe, so we’ll certainly take their order,” Witte said. The number of orders have increased as more people become aware of the service. Customers call in one day, and their groceries are delivered the next.
In between orders, employees wait on in-store customers and keep stocking shelves with items they get in on a truck each day. Witte said he’s been able to keep many things stocked but some items go out the door as soon as they are unboxed.
If the load of delivery orders is too large for his employees, people have volunteered to help.
“I have about five people in the community, plus the mayor, that are willing to if we can’t keep up, will come in and help,” Witte said.
The Flandreau Ministerial Association, Moody County Cares, the Breadbasket and the backpack program for school children in Flandreau and Colman-Egan have teamed together to help cover food and other needs in the community. Residents can call 211 to register for needs they might have in getting groceries or medications delivered, for example. When deliveries are made, they will be left outside because volunteers won’t be entering houses.
“We can provide the manpower to go and get it and take it to them,” said the Rev. Alan Blankenfeld, pastor at Our Savior’s Lutheran and an organizer with Moody County Cares, which has the primary mission of mental health help in the county. That work will continue, too, he said.
“There will be mental health issues that people are dealing with as well,” he said.

The relief effort during the virus pandemic will put together lists of people who need help and those who can offer help, said Kari Burggraff, one of the coordinators in the community. The effort is meant to help those who can’t afford food and also those who can but need help getting it to their homes.
The Breadbasket also is in need of food and supplies. Donations can be mailed to Breadbasket, Box 55, Flandreau, 57028. Donations also are being accepted by mailing to Moody County Cares in care of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, 505 S. Wind St., or putting a donation in the drop box at the Moody County Courthouse.
Organizers will adjust the volunteering as needed.
“We’re trying to be proactive and get in front of it, in case we do have a large flare up that we’re able to have things in place to help the people we can,” Blankenfeld said. “I think the need will change as the virus affects our community.”

School lunches
At both the Flandreau and Colman-Egan schools, the district and food service staff continue to pack sack lunches, meals students or parents can pick up outside the high school doors.

Hospital masks
Avera Flandreau Hospital is accepting facemasks that are sewn by local seamstresses for use in protecting people against the virus. The Avera Health system has specifics on its website. Several local people are planning to start making them.
Ashley Ross of Flandreau has been sewing the masks for a while and is donating them to the hospital she works at, Select Specialty Hospital where she is a registered nurse.
“I have sewn since I was a young teenager and I enjoy it,” she said. Her hospital serves long-term acute patients, and she expects it will see those who have COVID-19. “We care for the patients that are chronically, critically ill,” she said. “I want to absolutely do what I can to help my co-workers stay as healthy as possible. We need them to fight this fight.”

Helping business
Bridge Flandreau is hosting a fundraiser for local walk-in businesses and their workers, said Emily Firman Pieper, organizer.
Money can be donated at the First National Bank Flandreau Branch drive-thru or by calling the bank and telling them how much you want to donate from an account. PayPal donations can be made at BridgeFlandreau@gmail.com.
To receive help, visit http://Tinyurl.com/FlandreauCOVID19Help.