Activity hasn’t dropped off much with Antrim’s Grapevine Family and Community Resource Center since they converted to all-virtual services, and they’re bracing for a potential bump in community need later this summer.
“Family resource centers are where to start when you don’t know where to start,” Executive Director Melissa Gallagher said. They expected to be slammed with requests for aid shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools and put people out of work, she said, but usership remained steady after they worked out a new way of delivering services. “The vast majority of families continue to participate through remote connections,” she said.
The Grapevine now conducts its information and referral programs, parent and child groups, Better Beginnings, home visiting supports, and kinship caregiver support programs over the phone or video call now. Parents who might be stressed or struggling can reach out one on one for a warm connection, Gallagher said. The Avenue A Teen Center’s programming also continues virtually, including various weekly discussion and check-in groups, and clubs for creative writing clubs, yoga, and baking.
When it became clear that the center was not going to be overwhelmed with requests for aid, staff began to ramp up outreach to make sure families in need knew what they have to offer, Gallagher said, which allowed some residents to open up more than they would have otherwise about their needs.
Staff are working with some people who have had their hours reduced at work, or lost their jobs and are waiting for unemployment benefits, Gallagher said. Others have kids at home and no access to childcare. One referral they received through the Teen Center was for a parent of three teenagers who were “eating her out of house and home,” Gallagher said.
Grapevine staff anticipate they’ll see more housing-related issues three months out from the shutdown, since that’s typically when a bill collector or landlord would begin to take action on delinquent payments. Overall, they’re anticipating the ripple effect of the pandemic to result in heavier needs into the summertime, Gallagher said.
Emergency funds through Monadnock United Way’s COVID relief fund and local donors have bolstered financial assistance programs to help people with groceries, gasoline, or paying a fuel or cell phone bill, she said. They also have a bin of materials for sewing masks, and receive masks made for first responders to use at the office. They’re also trying to capture the outpouring of volunteership in the community during the pandemic, Gallagher said, and connect people interested in delivering groceries to the elderly or checking in on them, or making and delivering meals. She lauded the Facebook group Peterborough NH Area Cares During COVID-19 for connecting volunteers to other community members, but noted that the most isolated people aren’t necessarily on Facebook, and that’s where a family resource center can help to match people up.
Program participants are largely the same as they were before the switch to virtual, Gallagher said. They continue to refer callers to the resource center closest to their home, whether that’s at the Grapevine, or the River Center in Peterborough, or organizations in Concord.
The Grapevine’s annual spring walk is still on for this Saturday, May 9. It’s the organization’s largest community event, and traditionally their largest fundraiser, Gallagher said. This year, it’ll be a virtual fundraising walk and attendees are encouraged to post a photo or video to Grapevine’s Facebook or Instagram pages as they wear purple, and honor physical distancing guidelines as they run, bike, walk, skateboard, or push a stroller. The event, as always, is aimed at celebrating community, family, and The Grapevine.