The Town of St. Marys is expanding its Community Wellness Program to include new services to help residents cope with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program launched late in March and was initially focused on connecting those in need with pre-existing community resources. Over 80 people are currently registered with the program but the staff has since discovered some gaps in the service.
One issue they identified was with grocery delivery. Although this service is available in St. Marys, some residents without a credit card or an internet connection struggled to access it.
To combat this, staff at the Community Wellness Program will now place grocery orders on clients' behalf, arrange for delivery and offer alternative payment methods.
Beyond meeting basic needs, staff also wanted to address the social isolation facing many residents at this time. They are now using Facebook to share live and pre-recorded videos of recreation and leisure programs. They are also exploring telephone programming to connect those without access to the internet.
