Many citizens in and around Minot are having difficulty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Food and toiletries, especially toilet paper, are scarce on the shelves of several stores. A lot of working women and men have been laid off or furloughed as the amount of business has decreased. To ease the stress on families, Souris Valley United Way, Minot Area Community Foundation and the Red Cross are doing what they can to make sure the people have what they need.

Some daycares and all of the schools have been closed to prevent spreading the virus to other children and staff members. The closing of daycares and schools raised the need for childcare. Emergency and other essential personnel who have children may no longer have a place where their children can be supervised safely.

Souris Valley United Way in Minot has an emergency response fund to help those parents find childcare, those who do not have health insurance and those who live paycheck-to-paycheck.

Workers who have been deemed essential personnel may have had their hours cut from their normal amount, making it a little more difficult for them to make ends meet. In combination with the shortage of some food items in grocery stores, the decrease or halt of income can stress parents and others about keeping food on the table for everyone.

The Red Cross in Minot has gone virtual to abide by the necessity of social distancing. However, if they have supplies that a family needs, one of the Red Cross staff members will put the bag of supplies on the hood of the family’s car. Rob Stotz, the executive director of the Western North Dakota American Red Cross, said that they are encouraging everyone to sanitize, wash their hands, stay at least six feet away from others, stay home if possible and stay away from groups of 10 people or more.

“Although the American Red Cross is responsible for approximately 40% of blood collection nationwide,” Stotz said, “we do not collect blood or blood products in western North Dakota. We urge you to share within your social circles the need for blood and blood product and have them seek out a blood collection site.”

The Minot Area Community Foundation has also gone virtual due to the social distancing restrictions. Jason Zimmerman, the president of MACF, said they’re still reaching out to other nonprofits on a weekly basis in Minot, the state and the region to make sure people are getting what they need. By collaborating with Souris Valley United Way, they are helping together.

The organizations and agencies that have 501(c)3 status are eligible to apply for grants to get the funding they need to continue serving their communities. Zimmerman said that he and the others at the MACF are brokering a relationship between nonprofits to keep everyone going. He recognizes that the business community has been hit incredibly hard and they have to take care of their own. Personnel of those small businesses have difficulty in staying afloat if they don’t have any customers coming in.

When citizens of the community donate to the MACF and to the Souris Valley United Way, they are in turn helping others during these tough times. Zimmerman said that they “are fortunate to have an endowed fund with flexibility in how it’s used.” The MACF focus on the youth and elderly in the community, and other programs like Meals on Wheels and The Lord’s Pantry.

Zimmerman also described how they focus on particular areas and collaborate with others to tackle them together and help where they can.

The website for Souris Valley United Way lists five things that people can do to help fight COVID-19 and the struggles that come along with it. By donating to the Souris Valley United Way, the “gifts support community resources that serve (those) struggling in the Souris River area.”

Souris Valley United Way is also working on the front lines, and provide citizens with information on social services and other resources. People who want reliable information can call 211.

If anyone has any extra food or toiletries, Souris Valley United Way urges people to donate those supplies to local food pantries. They are having a difficult time keeping items on the shelves now more than ever.

Staying in touch with friends and family is very important to stay connected in a time when social distancing is mandatory. “Loneliness is as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day,” the Souris Valley United Way website explained. With the new kinds of technology and software we have now, staying in touch is essential.

The last thing is taking care of one’s mental health. Staying busy with new or old hobbies can help pass the time and keep the mind busy. Getting outside once in a while is recommended to avoid cabin fever and get a bit of exercise.

During the times of quarantine and social distancing, even the agencies and organizations helping people have to do their work from a distance. Souris Valley United Way, the American Red Cross and the Minot Area Community Foundation are doing all they can to help everyone they can by reaching out to each other and staying connected.