LBFE volunteer Kerry on her way to make a contactless Slice of Summer delivery in July. The success of this program over the summer has helped our staff make plans for holiday deliveries.
Little Brothers’ summer reopening gave staff time to adapt to new safety policies and procedures before welcoming volunteers back to the building. As we prepare for the holiday season — and our biggest meal delivery efforts ever — we’re continuing to put the well-being of our community first. Take a look back at Little Brothers’ careful summer reopening and find out more about our entirely contactless holiday volunteering opportunities.
CEO Simone Mitchell-Peterson worked with a small internal team to develop a comprehensive Welcome Forward Plan that included new staff guidelines for face coverings and social distancing and detailed instructions on how to navigate the building, conduct daily business, maintain a hygienic workplace, and more. The staff is divided into two teams, which alternate weeks working in the office or from home.
Required at LBFE: Temperature checks and face coverings for all staff.
“Our office environment is drastically different, and we’re all continuing to adjust to modifications. It’s not the same, but our goal is to keep our staff and their families safe,” says Mitchell-Peterson.
Over the summer, volunteers picked up items for contactless deliveries by meeting a staff member in the courtyard. For our upcoming Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day meal deliveries, volunteers won’t even need to get out of their cars!
We’ll have two drive-through lanes for meal pick up next to our building, where elders’ homemade turkey dinners will be placed directly into volunteers’ trunks. Once a volunteer arrives at an elder’s home, a knock-drop-and-wave method for delivering the meal ensures that both the elder and volunteer are able to maintain a social distance.
If you’re already an LBFE volunteer who can share two to three hours on Thanksgiving Day, just send us an email. Not yet an LBFE volunteer? Sign up for a virtual volunteer orientation and make a difference for Chicago elder this holiday season!