Delaware County Council was honored to recognize members of the Citizens Corps of Delaware County during a virtual presentation on August 26.
The virtual meeting was held to give Council an opportunity to thank the many volunteers who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to serve their community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Your selfless dedication to your community is to be commended every day, but serving in the midst of a pandemic even further shows your commitment to your fellow neighbors,” said Delaware County Council Vice Chair Dr. Monica Taylor.
Over the past six months, many of the volunteers have served at Delaware County’s COVID-19 public testing sites, food pick up and distribution events, baby item drives, pet food and supply drives, the Alternative Care Site at the Glen Mills School, at Delco Strong events, and assisted in first responder refuge. Each of these events greatly helped the community at a time when we needed it the most and they would not have been possible without the members of the Citizens Corps of Delaware County.
Delaware County began its first public COVID-19 testing site in May, and has been deploying over 100 volunteers a week to assist at the sites.
In the early stages of the pandemic, Delaware County realized there was a need to increase its volunteer base, specifically members of the Delaware County Citizen Corps, whose mission is to improve the emergency preparedness, health, and safety of the residents of Delaware County.
As the community faced challenges and uncertainty, hundreds of residents reached out asking how they could help their fellow neighbors. Since the spring, Delaware County has been able to add and train over 700 new volunteers.
“This speaks volumes about our community,” said Taylor. “Our community truly embodies what it means to be Delco Strong. To our new volunteers and also to those who have been volunteering for years—Thank you! You are the backbone of many of our grassroots community efforts.”
To date, Delaware County has held eight food drives and distributed food to 23 pantries across the county. The County has held dozens of COVID-19 testing sites. Hundreds of parents were able to get items for their babies and young children. Hundreds of business owners picked up PPE kits, which allowed them to keep their employees and the public safe as they operate.