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access to food services

Connecting to Resident Needs

When COVID hit, we began routine check-in calls with residents to understand how their needs were changing. We discovered that 39% of households told us that access to food was a major concern. We responded by providing almost double the amount of food — enough for 7,000 more people than the previous year. By the summer alone, we had tripled food delivery, expanding food pantries to provide additional items, more dates and times of operation, and regularly stocking cleaning supplies, toiletries, and other necessities. 

We had an outpouring of food donations as soon as the pandemic took hold, and it carried on throughout the year. Safe access to food gave seniors security and families assurance that they could rest a little easier knowing that dinner would be on the table. Residents and onsite staff diligently worked to identify community needs, allocate resources, and overcome unprecedented logistical challenges posed by social distancing precautions. 

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In 2020, Mercy Housing committed to keeping residents in their homes. Donors gave over $1.4M for rent relief, while staff helped residents access over $1M in state and local emergency rental assistance.

248

properties have full-time Resident Services Staff

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22,686

residents accessed food services

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For many residents on fixed incomes, it’s too expensive to acquire food in bulk, purchase high-cost alternatives to sold-out items, or buy unbudgeted goods like heavy-duty cleaners or PPE. These food security issues can compound existing challenges experienced by residents. 

For residents, food donations were more than fuel for the day, it was a reminder that their community cares about them. All that went into helping residents with food relief kept cabinets full of nutritious food and kept us in touch with residents’ other needs during long months of social distancing.

Onsite staff also increased wellness checks for seniors to fight isolation, anxiety, and depression. It was an important time to help those rocked by the economic fallout to apply for unemployment benefits, secure stimulus payments, and file taxes as well.

Quarantine and social isolation are hard on everyone, especially seniors living with lower incomes. Feelings of loneliness and fear can hurt daily life. But residents helped Mercy Housing to find solutions. Outdoor concerts were created for seniors to enjoy from the safety and comfort of their balconies at some communities, while virtual bingo kept others in touch with their neighbors.

 

Neighborhoods’ health and vibrancy depend on everyone’s stability and access to resources. 

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