FHF's COVID-19 Relief Efforts

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of change, not only to our organization, but to most parts of the world.

The Current Situation in Clarkston, GA

The refugee community is afraid. Prior to arrival in the United States, refugees had lived through tragedy. Many of them lost loved ones to wars, genocides, famine or natural disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought back painful memories for these families and triggered a great deal of anxiety. 

Residents of the 1.5 square mile city of Clarkston have a high risk of infection. A majority of the refugees work in the meat plants. We are not sure of the precautions and safety measures taken by these plants. Their only mode of transportation to work is a shared ride (vanpool) with a dozen other people. After a 10- to 12-hour shift at work, they return home to a tiny apartment that houses an average of seven people. We have been informed that there are several reported cases of COVID-19 in the apartment complexes, so we are taking extra precaution in our service delivery.

• DeKalb County schools closed their buildings and transitioned to distance learning effective March 16. Teachers and school administrators did the best they could, given the short amount of time they had to transition to distance learning. Some schools used technology to offer live classes and assign homework. A few others uploaded assignments to student portals, and the rest prepared packets consisting of reading materials and worksheets for independent study. Children were already struggling to perform in school, so distance learning posed a new set of challenges for them. The whole family was impacted:
• Working parents had to stay home and watch their children, thereby losing income.
• Single parents who could not afford to leave their jobs often left young children unsupervised at home.
• Distance learning instructions were unclear to parents due to language barriers.
• These language barriers made it impossible for refugee parents to assist their children with school work.
• Children with limited access to technology were no-shows to virtual classes and have not been able to complete schoolwork online.
• Children who relied on schools to provide breakfast and lunch on weekdays were at a high-risk of facing food insecurities. The DeKalb County school system has done well by providing breakfast, sack lunches and snacks to many children in the area. However, some of these children are unable to walk to the pick-up locations. The food delivery trucks are not able to make it to all the apartment complexes in Clarkston and Stone Mountain, where many of the refugees live. 
• Households with COVID-19 patients are afraid to go out for food or essential items.

What we are doing to help with the COVID-19 Situation

Thanks to our volunteers and supporters, we have been able to provide some relief to the refugee community and American families.

• When schools closed, we reached out to our afterschool families to find out how they were doing and what we could do to assist them. We also contacted the schools on their behalf, to find out what the students needed to be doing at home. Then, our staff went over the distance learning instructions with the parents and the children (using translators when needed). One Volunteer picked packets up from the schools and delivered them to the students. Some students needed to print school assignments for two weeks but had no access to printers. We were able to print these assignments and drop them off for the students. 
• We are now offering free tutoring and homework help via a secure online platform. 
• We are providing secure computers to families in need, so that children can participate in virtual classwork. 
• In early March, we provided food items, diapers and household supplies to families in Clarkston and Stone Mountain to help them prepare for the quarantine period. 
• We prepared 30 emergency care kits for people who have or will display COVID-19 symptoms. We have delivered 14 so far. Each kit contains Tylenol, cough drops, masks, disinfectant wipes, hand sanitizers, facial tissues, Gatorade and food.
• Families are being notified of the DeKalb County food truck delivery times and locations in their languages. However, there are still a few people who are either too sick or afraid to go to the truck. Whenever we can, we pick the food and deliver it to these families.
• We kept our staff on payroll.

More Ways We Would Like to Help

• FHF would like to provide rent assistance to five struggling families in Clarkston for one month. 
• We would like to purchase a new fridge and freezer to store food. We receive dairy products, fresh produce and frozen foods from donors and the Food Bank. However, our refrigerator is not large enough to contain all the food and one of our freezers has stopped working completely. With additional appliances, families will have access to a variety of healthy food items.

Thank you for giving and supporting our efforts, as we work to bring relief to the vulnerable ones in our community.