Chatham Neighbor2Neighbor continues to build and connect Chatham residents who need help with people and services that assist.
Neighbor2Neighbor, a collaborative effort of the Chatham News + Record, Abundance NC and the Caremongering Pittsboro Facebook group, launched in April with a simple idea — connecting people in Chatham County who have the capacity to help with those who need it the most using a simple online form.
Any Chatham County resident who wants to volunteer to help can access the site from one of two URLs:
• https://bit.ly/ChathamNeighbor2Neighbor (for English)
• https://bit.ly/ChathamVecinoAVecino (for Spanish)
Marcela Slade, Abundance NC’s event coordinator and art director, created flier and posters in English and Spanish to help reach those who may not have reliable internet access. The number of residents or families helped in the last week alone more than tripled, from four to 15. More than 70 Chatham residents volunteered to provide assistance.
Slade said about 50 percent of those seeking help are Spanish speakers, many of whom are having difficulty paying utility bills. The initial fund created to support those residents is nearly dry, but Slade has been coordinating with the Chatham County Dept. of Social Services to connect those residents to the Crisis Intervention Program. The department provided Slade with application forms in English and Spanish that she provides to those seeking help with bills.
Another significant portion of those in need are seeking food. Many of them, according to Slade, cannot leave their homes to shop because they are either elderly or have been diagnosed with COVID-19. Slade received a note from a Spanish speaking woman with three children who was diagnosed with COVD-19 who was helped. Slade translated the note into English.
“Thank you, Marcela,” the note read. “They already came and dropped off the groceries. May God bless you all and help you with more health because what you do for others is amazing. Thank you. I won’t be able to repay you, but God will compensate you.”
Neighbor2NEighbor also paired a Latinix male who normally works in a thread factory with a female community member who needed garden work done.
“Thank you,” he said. “I will be attentive to her call and if not call her myself.”
When Slade asked the man if he spoke any English he said, “No, but don’t worry. I know how to make this happen.”
Chatham Neighbor2Neighbor has also coordinated with Chatham’s Council on Aging’s Executive Director Dennis Streets. Streets shared information about the program to let Chatham’s elderly population know that they can be paired with willing volunteers who want to help them get through the pandemic.
Getting involved
How can you help? Access and complete the Chatham Neighbor2Neighbor form using the links in this story.
For more information, email news@chathamnr.com and your message will be directed to volunteers.