Dentistry staff member continues food pantry contributions during COVID

With the new work-from-home reality settling in, School of Dentistry staff member Della Damon saw an opportunity related to no longer commuting. Damon, who is the finance and accounting manager at the school, decided to use money she would’ve spent on gas driving to work to support the food pantry at her local church.

According to Damon, local shelter-in-place orders have not stopped the important work that Connection Point Church is doing for the Raytown community. And she is happy to do her part.

“When you’re trapped at home, it’s easy to feel like you can’t do anything,” said Damon. “But just buying some groceries can even feel like you’re making a difference.”

Though she does admit that the logistics have gotten a bit more involved. “Before all of this, we’d just bring food donations to church each Sunday. Now to limit contact, we’ve got very specific directions for dropping off the food.”

That includes encouraging curbside drop-off. Each Monday around midday, Damon drives to the church and gets in the pantry’s drop-off line. With the groceries pre-bagged and organized in her trunk, she stays in her car and pops the door so a volunteer can remove them and take them to the pantry. Like many in the area, Damon’s church utilizes curbside pick-up to distribute food. The demand for the pantry is obvious when pick up day comes around each Tuesday – the line of cars frequently snakes around the church and well down the street.

Damon welcomes the food pantry’s changes – and appreciates she has the ability to keep giving back. “I have a feeling that there are probably a number of places that are changing up how they’re doing their donations,” she said. “There’s value in dropping items off with minimal contact.”

But she admits it’s an eerie experience. “First of all, it’s just weird seeing the church’s parking lot completely empty,” she said. “But when I get to that drop off line, I think, wow, this is really cool.”

The limited contact has affected a number of her connections to the church, including choir rehearsals, which are now on Zoom “just so we don’t get rusty,” she said. “It was a bit bumpy early on, but now we’ve got as many 30-40 people singing along.”

It’s connecting with people that helps Damon through this time and giving to the pantry is one of her more meaningful connections.

“I would encourage everyone who is able to support the UMKC Roo Food Pantry or another local food pantry during this time,” said Damon “It is truly a blessing for both the giver and the receiver.