Chatham Neighbor2Neighbor, a grassroots organization formed to connect people in need in Chatham County with those with the ability to help, has launched a GoFundMe to support the effort.
In April, the News + Record, Abundance NC and the Caremongering Pittsboro Facebook group launched the initial Chatham Neighbor2Neighbor effort and since that time, residents in Chatham County have helped more than 65 neighbors who were struggling due to COVID-19.
Marcela Slade, an organizer for Neighbor2Neighbor and the Abundance NC event coordinator and art director, the group is hoping to recruit more volunteers and raise financial support for families who need assistance with bills, food or other purchases of the basic necessities. She wants to make sure that the strain on the volunteers does not become overwhelming, leaving many of Chatham’s residents vulnerable.
“We need to make sure to continue to spread the word, especially finding people who want to help,” Slade said. “I’m running out of people who are willing to buy and deliver goods to people.”
That’s another reason why the team created the GoFundMe account. The original goal was to raise $10,000, but so far it has only brought in about $1,100.
“Just a little bit of help will go a long way in helping us serve as many people who need it,” Slade said. “And as we continue to move forward during COVID restrictions, things are only going to get harder for those who are already struggling.”
Slade has also noticed that some people who sign up for help are later refusing it, stating they have found another way to get the goods and services whether through family or friends.
“People really don’t want to take advantage of the situation,” Slade said. “The may be in really bad situation, but want to leave the help to those people who they feel are really in need. It’s very touching.”
Join the cause
Any Chatham County resident who wants to volunteer to help can access the site from this URL: https://bit.ly/ChathamNeighbor2Neighbor.
Once there, visitors complete a simple contact form which includes options for ways they can help. At the same time, any Chatham County resident who needs help can, through the same site, complete a form seeking assistance. Volunteers are then “matched” with the neighbor in need.
There is also a version of the same form translated into Spanish called Chatham VecinoAVecino, which can be found at https://bit.ly/ChathamVecinoAVecino.
It’s a simple matter of choosing “I can help others” or “I need help.”
Financial contributions can be made to the GoFundMe account at www.gofundme.com/f/chatham-neighbor2neighbor-vecinoavecino.
Casey Mann can be reached at CaseyMann@Chathamnr.com.