Hello neighbor,
I’m Alex, longtime Lift UP volunteer and recent board member.
While the majority of us are laying on our sofas and complaining about running out of things to watch on Netflix, the Lift UP team is working to make sure clients have food and volunteers are safe.
All of us have had our lives turned upside down by this invisible threat, through illness, employment status, distance learning, anxiety, and isolation, to name a few. A silver lining around this global pandemic is the clarity on what defines “essential” and the baseline understanding that access to food is fundamental.
When the first fears of COVID-19 entered our thoughts, the Lift UP team didn’t think about themselves, they were planning how to continue to deliver food services to our community despite the virus. It was never “if” they should continue, but “how”.
Over the last few weeks you’ve heard from the team and how COVID-19 has impacted their role. I just wanted to take a moment to salute the amazing staff of Lift UP:
Teresa, for continuing to lean in at Preston’s Pantry despite social distancing.
Ceci for pivoting warehouse operations to ensure the integrity of our food supply chain.
Abby for leading with empathy and going the extra mile to keep our volunteers safe.
Brett for always looking for creative ways to connect with our community.
Erin, our leader, for putting the needs of our clients, team, and community above all, always.
And to our volunteers, donors, and community members who have stepped up even more over the last few weeks - thank you.
You are our essential heroes.
