As the number of coronavirus cases increase in South Florida, some people are avoiding grocery stores and turning to drive-thru food distributions.
Catherine Wilson-Neal, 64, has a medical condition.
“I have bronchitis and underlying health issues, so I’m trying to make sure I stay in to keep myself healthy,” she said.
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Wilson-Neal avoided contact with others Monday at Pompano Beach's Hopewell Missionary Baptist Church, a food distribution site.
“All I have to do is go through the line and get it,” she said. “I don’t have to take chances going in the grocery store.”
Hundreds of families drove through to pick up chicken, lettuce, fruit and more. Going to a grocery store could increase the risk of catching the virus or giving it to someone else.
“Oh it would really be bad for people like myself," Wilson-Neal said.
The Pompano Beach community knows there’s a need for people like Wilson-Neal. That is why local officials, like commissioner Beverly Perkins, are stepping in to help.
“…To see if we can ease the pain a little bit because of what everybody is going through, especially our seniors here in the community, which are at-risk seniors,” said Perkins.
Commissioner Perkins reached out to ‘Feeding South Florida’ once she noticed the demand.
“We’re going to continue for the next three Mondays to kind of curb the hardship of the community as to what we’re going through with this crisis,” Perkins said.
Aside from going out to get essentials, Wilson-Neal stays home.
“It’s kind of difficult staying put, but I understand,” she said.
She says things could be worse.
“Being on social security, I don’t get any supplemental food, and so it would really be bad,” she said. “I think this is a great thing that the community is doing.”
