A group of Republic organizations has begun to organize a coordinated response to coronavirus needs in the community. Each church or other organization will specialize in a certain response to help alleviate the burden on each one, while adhering to guidelines for gatherings from the Centers for Disease Control. On-site services will be offered “drive-through” style.
The group is using a Facebook group to organize and has invited the public to join here.
Republic business owner Macy Mitchell helped organize the effort because he saw a need to “rally others and get the whole community on board.” A key part of that effort is a division of labor between groups, where appropriate.
“Each branch should focus on just one or two resources at which they do well,” Mitchell said. “You not only treat a large population efficiently without overwhelming any one resource, but you can still be a personal touch in this time of isolation for many, still follow health guidelines, and in the process unify the city and area in one goal. We can now treat the emergent need and give hope.”
Here is a list of the organizations with details in place, and I’ll update the list as others come on board.
Republic Schools
The school district will be providing meals for school-age children for drive-through pickup at Republic Middle School starting Monday, March 30. The service will be available Monday-Friday.
Beginning on March 30, school buses will deliver lunches to several locations from 11:00-11:30 a.m., although the school is reminding people not to congregate in groups at those locations as they pick up their meals:
- Alpine Village
- S. Lewis Street in Battlefield near the Prairie Oak Village Apartments
- Old Stone Apartments
- Hines Street Pharmacy
- Calvary Baptist Church
To measure need, school officials ask that families fill out this form.
Calvary Baptist Church (804 US60, Republic) 417-732-1405 Tuesday and Wednesday 1:00-4:00 p.m. Hygiene Kits, Bottled Water, Gatorade, Paper Towels, Baby Wipes, Diapers
The Community Kitchen / Hood United Methodist (139 N. Walnut) 417-732-5919 Hood UMC Pastor Jim Oman / Colette Patton Hood will be providing meals Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings as part of its program, The Community Kitchen. (Thursday evening meals are temporarily eliminated from the schedule.) Drive-through pick-up lines will operate from 5:00-5:30 p.m. or until food runs out. The drive-through will be set up on the west side of the building. Soup will be served cold for reheating. Breakfast pickup will run from 10:00-10:30 a.m. on Saturdays.
Destiny Church (526 E. Harrison) 417-732-5378 Providing non-perishable food items (1-2 bags per week per family) on Fridays. Must call ahead.
Epic Life Ministries (229 US Hwy 60W, Republic) 417-815-5433 – office@epiclifemo.org Offering a free 30-minute professional crisis intervention session via teletherapy for the next 30 days to individuals and families in Republic and surrounding communities. You must be at least 18 years old or have parental consent prior to the session. Please contact our office if you would like to take advantage of this resource.
First Christian Church (443 N. Main)
417-732-2139
First Christian (along with Meadowview Baptist) is focusing its response on seniors, who are encouraged to call the church and leave a message with name, phone number, and a particular need. (For example, a senior who needs someone to pick up an item from the store and drop it off can call this number.
Gerry Pool Senior Friendship Center 417-732-7672 The Senior Friendship Center was already delivering more than 400 meals a week to seniors. The center is also calling people who were already on its waiting list for home delivery to add them to the routes, but needs more volunteer delivery drivers to get those meals to seniors. Deliveries are twice a week on Wednesday and Thursday.
The center’s weekday on-site lunches are now drive-through only from 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Residents age 60 and over should call ahead to let workers know they intend to pick up a meal.
LIFE 360 (Main & Highway 60) 417-812-5360 Pastor Dalton Avery Life 360 is offering free food pickup for children 18 and under on Wednesday and Friday from 3-6 p.m. You get get a week of breakfast and a week of dinner while supplies last.
Live Church (1244 E. Highway 60) 417-815-5775 Pastor Josh Troester Live Church is working to collect cleaning supplies and paper supplies, but details for distribution are still pending. In addition, the church has donated its open storage warehouse space to hold any bulk items collected by other organizations involved in the effort.
Meadowview Baptist Church (1100 State Highway 174) 417-732-6560 Pastor Josh Mathews Meadowview (along with First Christian Church) is focusing its response on seniors, who are encouraged to call the church and leave a message with name, phone number, and a particular need. (For example, a senior who needs someone to pick up an item from the store and drop it off can call this number.
People Helping People (210 N Pine Ave) 417-732-5464 Director Gala Wilson People Helping People will be open Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Clients should call 732-5464 to register and set a time for food pick up. This food is considered emergency response and does not count against the amount generally allowed. Clients cannot enter the building and should be able to load their food into their cars. (PHP has diapers available for now.)
Republic Pregnancy Resource Center (291 US Highway 60) Director Mary Beth Jackson The Pregnancy Resource Center will be open Monday through Thursday 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., handing out diapers (sizes 0-6) and baby wipes.
Other churches have also committed to joining the effort, but they’re still working out the logistics of obtaining and distributing products. I’ll add those as they announce specifics.