CATAWBA, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) The Catawba Indian Nations’ wellness leaders say they have been greatly impacted by COVID-19.
They say their food pantry’s needs have increased by 25% since the beginning of the pandemic. Now, for the first time, the Community Cafe is partnering with the nation.
“With the economic impact that families are suffering from whether it’s loss of jobs or closing of businesses, their own personal business or their employer, we’ve been impacted a great deal,” says Tolani Franks, the Catawba Indian Nation’s Wellness Program Manager. “So, being able to use this food truck organization has been just extremely helpful and we hope that more of our tribal community members will be able to come out and receive some services from them.”
The Catawba Indian Nation’s leaders say they’re happy to see communities expanding their reach to help those in need. The community cafe had many young volunteer come out to help distribute food, shirts and toiletries. The cafe’s leaders say they believe COVID-19 is bringing more people together in new ways.
“This group that’s here today is from Forest Hill Church and they have banded together it’s a very large troop, they banded together to have a group of people here to serve other people,” says Linda Murfin, with the Community Cafe. “It helps us going out into the community so that people don’t have to find their way to us. It’s truly an example of loving one another as God has instructed us to do.”
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson is at the Catawba Indian Nation’s first Community Cafe event.
