giving ‹‹ INSPIRING PEOPLE
AMANDA EJIMOFOR W MORGANTOWN, MONONGALIA COUNTY Dedicated Teen Makes a Difference
Christian Help in Morgantown appreciates a dedicated young volunteer. emaliemarsh, the 18-year-olddaughter of brianmarsh , Free Store Coordinator at Christian Help (CH), recognized that we were short-staffed at the front desk in the afternoons and offered to help twice a week beginning early March. She is a compassionate individual who enjoys working with the other volunteers and clients alike. Taking notice of the staff’s various obligations to our clients, she stepped in where other volunteers were unavailable, easing the staff’s workload. It was only one week after Emalie started
After learning of the shortage of masks for first responders in early March, Deb Hartshorn jumped to action sewing masks. She quickly saw the need for the creation of a grassroots effort to connect volunteers who sew masks for health care providers in need. She purchased fabric, elastic, and thread, and sat behind her sewing machine for hours at a time, creating colorful masks, all the while using Facebook to reach out to other volunteers who could sew masks and leave them in a basket on her porch and at other collection points she helped to coordinate. She would then distribute for free. “The goal is to provide and protect,” Hartshorn said on Facebook. “In a time with more questions than answers, many are guided by their faith and are answering the call to help others. Together we are sewing faith.” Seamstresses around the state joined the effort, and together they sewed several thousand masks, delivering them to nursing homes, urgent care centers, Camden Clark Medical Center, hospice, and other health care centers—using their own fabric, time, and money. While Deb Hartshorn and the Sewing Faith team’s selfless actions were not for praise or personal gain, Senator Capito and Senator Manchin took notice. Capito recognized Sewing Faith on the U.S. Senate floor, and Manchin shared the organization’s story in one of his “Better Angels” videos. It is people like Deb, Jenny Jones, April Wood, Jo Ann Duffield, Sheila Barton Norman, Eryn Gray, Anna Border Sheppard, Sheila Martin Miller, Kelly Bordonada, Melissa Moss, Karen Offutt, Anita Lockhart, Terrie Thorn, Sherlene Conley, Tammie Marks, Mary Helen Whipkey, Rhonda Bumgarner, Jill Bartley, Ann Kemp, Sandra Murray, Vickie McCue Keener, Tammy Somerville Simms, Veronica Walker, Niki Taylor Mathess, Theresa Burrows Post, Becky Conner, Mary and Reilley Hendershot, Kaitlyn Thompson and the many many other volunteers who exemplify the West Virginia spirit. Sewing Faith Deb Hartshorn of Wirt County sews seeds of kindness.
volunteering that her school converted to online classwork. At that point, she decided to work at CH daily from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., completing her studies in the evenings. We serve vulnerable populations: those who are unsheltered, have medical restrictions, and are in difficult situations. Some clients arrive ready to sob and others cursing, but Emalie handles them very professionally with a gentle and thoughtful spirit. I am happy to say that Emalie worked the front desk every day we were open to the public after the pandemic restrictions began. The week after the pandemic orders were active, Emalie went to the emergency room with a very bad cough and difficulty breathing. After 4 hours there, she and her father quarantined over the weekend pending test results. Thankfully, she was diagnosed with a severe asthma attack, and her COVID-19 test was negative. She returned to volunteer at CH the next day, bright and cheery as always! During the past 30 days, CH has been short-staffed with only three of five team members present—sometimes only two. Because of Emalie’s faithful presence, the staff has been able to accomplish far more community service than expected during the pandemic. Her assistance provided time for staff to obtain information regarding federal and local COVID-19 programs and write grants, for example, and also to coordinate with community partners for better service—providing clothing, food, household items, and emergency financial assistance directly to area residents and establishing support via proxies from local shelters, the Board of Education, and the Mon County Health Department to individuals who are unsheltered, in transition, and/or medically restricted. March 16 to April 15, CH served 684 clients, delivered over 200 special needs, provided more than 150 food orders, and accepted 280-plus donations. Emalie took it upon herself during this time to answer and respond to phone inquiries; ensure registrations; document donations as well as food and special need orders; issue receipts; and, at times, regulate shop COVID-19 capacity and distancing requirements. Her time here enabled us to spruce up the building, create a welcoming and safe client environment by sanitizing furniture, counters, and doorknobs after being used, and meet client needs more quickly. Emalie has said that she has no intention of discontinuing her service after the pandemic situation passes, but she may have to adjust her hours once she goes back to school and/or gets a paying job. She personifies objective empathy in service and is an asset to our organization.
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