Food Bank Offers Drive-Thru Pick Up
By Dan Murphy
Religious institutions across the country are quickly finding ways to stay connected to their church, their pastor, and their congregation in wake of the Coronavirus. Westchester County is no different, with one local pastor saying, “We are finding new ways to do church.”
In Scarsdale, the Church of St. James the Less began to live stream Sunday services during the COVID-19 pandemic and social distancing. “For the first time in the history of this 171-year church, our Sunday service has over 200 views on YouTube,” said Rev. Astrid Storm. “This will likely be the new norm for a while.”
Different churches are using their websites, Facebook live, YouTube or Zoom – the latest in online communications with more than one person – to reach parishioners. Many school districts are also using, or about to use Zoom, for teachers to start online learning with their students.
Church communities are also using online services as a way to communicate with parishioners who are alone at home and who may need help. Funerals are also being cancelled.
My family did not attend the March 15 service, and we were not aware of an online service. As we watched our first online service on YouTube, my wife noticed that 50 other families and members of the church were also watching, giving her comfort. “At least we are all watching the pastor; in some way we are all together,” said Val.
Rev. Storm added, “People have been overjoyed to have a connection. This is an isolating and scary time, and to see their priest and their church, even if its on a computer screen, is a source of comfort.”
“We have our services on our website (stjamesscarsdale.org) and on YouTube, (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv7tqnKnQhZ8GOOq8w0zX3w?view_as=subscriber ), where people can make comments while the services are streaming and people are commenting with each other. That is another unexpected pleasure, when everyone is online together, over 200 people.”
“Next week after the service, I will leave it streaming online so that people can continue to communicate with each other and have a kind of after service coffee together. It’s really sweet and poignant how people have take to it because its all we have right now,” said Rev. Strom.
In other churches, members found the online service experience different and odd. “Part of our worship service is very participatory. In the Book of Common Prayer there’s things that the priest says, and the congregation has their response to that throughout the whole service, so it’s a little strange.”
“It’s interesting because you’re preaching to the congregation in an auditorium of 1,200 seats that there’s nobody in. It makes it a little strange, but I’m very proud of the way that, not just our church, but everybody’s kind of adhered to the protocols that the government has implemented.”
So for those of you reading this story, find out if your church is holding online services and give it a chance. And for those who don’t have a church, I give you the same thought – give it a chance, or call someone who may be alone. That call may make both you and the person you reach out to better in a tough time.
If any family is in need of food, Feeding Westchester continues to meet the greatest demand it has ever seen by offering drive-thru emergency food pick-up in the parking lot of its Elmsford operations center. Anyone in need of food can drive up for a meal kit that includes shelf-stable and refrigerated items, as well as fresh produce.
Feeding Westchester remains committed to keeping hundreds of thousands of pounds of additional food flowing into local communities for families and seniors in need. It’s a race against the clock in the event of a shelter-in-place scenario.
Feeding Westchester is located at 200 Clearbrook Road, Elmsford; call before you show up, at 914-909-9087. Please share this with anyone who needs food, and help this great community organization if you can.
