Dear Martin’s family,
On March 18, 2020, the core group at Martins, subsequently dubbed The Pandemics, reluctantly made the decision to temporarily discontinue both allowing indoor seating for our guests and accepting outside assistance from our many dedicated volunteers. At the time, of course, no one had any idea how long we would need to take these precautions. Our only thought was to keep everyone as safe as possible during the Covid-19 outbreak.
We are currently, easily, facing a yearlong restructuring. The good news is that our guests are continuing to receive fresh, home-cooked, nutritious meals every day, albeit in an altered form: bag lunches. Each bag contains a quart of hot soup, a piece of fresh fruit, bread, a hardboiled egg, crackers and bottled water as well as some sort of dessert treat, sometimes baked by us. We hand the bags out at the gate for two hours a day. Hand-washing facilities and an outhouse are available during that time. Masks, hand-sanitizer, socks, toothbrushes and books are given out on specific days.
Our traditional holiday meals will look very different this year. While we will miss gathering in joyful celebration to serve our guests amid music and dancing, we will be serving a very special Thanksgiving takeout meal featuring home-baked pies. We are planning something similar for Christmas.
We have, periodically, been sending out email updates with photos and more detailed information about our activities. Please sign up for these on our website at: martindeporres.org/#contact
Your continued support, for which we are deeply grateful, is essential! We are constantly aware of the many hands and hearts that lift us up and carry us forward.
In closing, a note from a supporter which we share with all of you:
“You are seen. You are known. You are validated. You are loved.”
In Peace and Love, The Pandemics