Dove Pointe delivers critical services to many disabled people in our region. And while its Day and Work Programs have been temporarily closed due to COVID-19, its Residential Program, which serves more than 130 people across 40 homes, has remained in operation.

COVID-19 has curtailed activities for residents, which, according to Executive Director Don Hackett, can be confusing to many. “They don’t always understand why they can’t do their normal routine, visit a favorite place or go to work,” which can make the days feel long for people with vulnerable conditions such as respiratory issues, behavioral issues, physical disabilities, or the need of a feeding tube.

Each home has been self-quarantined which has been an adjustment for his team, but Hackett said there have been “many bright spots,” especially in the form of community support.

For instance, Perdue Farms donated 300 Cornish game hens to the support staff in recognition of these frontline heroes; Kentucky Fried Chicken donated meals for all the residents and staff in every home, which was “a very special treat,” noted Hackett.  The Girls Scouts of the Chesapeake Bay donated of boxes of Girl Scout Cookies to every resident, bringing many smiles, and Landmark Insurance donated puzzles, games and much needed supplies.

“All of these gifts have truly touched our hearts and the hearts of our residents,” said Hackett.

When asked what else the organization needs now, Hackett mentioned the constant need for personal protective equipment (PPE). “That is an everyday need, especially N95 masks and gowns,” he said. “But all donations are welcome and brighten the days of our residents and staff.”

While unsure when Dove Pointe may again be fully operational, Hackett knows there is a wide community that truly needs the services provided by his 500 employees, and he is very proud of them.

To learn how you can help with in-kind or financial donations, visit www.dovepointe.org and click the green donate button which can be found on the Home page.

A 3D printer the University of Maryland Eastern Shore’s Pharmacy School usually used to manufacture nasal spray bottles has instead been cranking out critical parts to create face shields. The first batch of 50 adjustable headbands produced by Dr. Richard De Benedetto was donated to Coastal Hospice.

De Benedetto said he was motivated professionally and personally to support front-line healthcare givers.  His wife, Suzannah, is a spiritual consultant who counsels patients and works alongside hospice staffers. “I thought maybe there was something a little extra I could possibly do to keep her and her colleagues safe,” he said. 

De Benedetto did some online research and found a template he adapted to the 3D printer. The 8½-by-11-inch clear plastic is the same material used for covers of hard copy reports commonly used by commercial printers. 

Alane Capen, Coastal Hospice’s president, was unaware the donation was in the works when De Benedetto and faculty colleagues Rondall Allen and Sean Vasaitis showed up recently to make the presentation. Capen called the donation “Joyous. It affords us to be better prepared if this pandemic worsens in our community.” 

De Benedetto estimated each ready-to-wear face shield was produced with no more than a dollar’s worth of material. Each headband takes about two hours to create.

Capen said the face shields wear out quickly because constantly sanitizing them eventually makes the plastic cloudy like headlights on old automobiles. “There’s definitely a need and we appreciate this effort greatly,” she said.

A young animal lover and entrepreneur has melded his two interests with the launch of Bow Ties & Biscuits.

Eight-year-old Warner Insley of Salisbury and his family recently adopted a dog named Jett from the Wicomico County Humane Society. Jett inspired Warner to make bow ties out of scraps of material from his mom’s crafts cabinet – and the business was born. Then, he and his mom developed a delicious (according to Jett) recipe for baked dog treats with ingredients such as peanut butter and pumpkin puree and added them to the inventory.

Now Warner is, with help from mom Megan, dad Tonney and brother (silent partner) Everett, selling the custom–made bow ties and dog biscuits. And if you’re a cat lover and don’t want to feel left out, cat bow ties can be ordered as well.

Proceeds benefit the Wicomico County Humane Society and will help local animals like Jett find great homes.

To see Warner’s collection – there are lots of patterns to choose from – and to place an order, visit https://oldpostcompany.com/collections/bowties-biscuits.

Operation We Care (OWC) packs thousands of gift boxes for service personnel annually. Each is a taste of home, filled with American snacks and quick foods, gum, sunscreen, lip balm, and other helpful items, as well as a note or card from a caring packer. The process usually takes dozens of volunteers at twice yearly packing parties, as well as donations of both items and money to acquire the items.

The initiative is led by Jeff and Diana Merritt, owners of Minuteman Press in Salisbury. According to Jeff, when they realized that the May packing party would not be possible, they began packing and delivering a small number of boxes each week to front line personnel.

What started small is having a big impact. “We’ve delivered 1,900 boxes since March 24,” said Jeff. “We have made sure to deliver boxes to every hospital in our region, from Easton to Berlin. We have been delivering to police, fire, and EMS as well, and hope to reach as many as possible.”

This week they added boxes of Girl Scout cookies to the boxes, donated by the Chesapeake Bay Girl Scout Council.  Packing help arrived as well. The Merritts have been dropping off supplies to the Fruitland Police Dept. and Gary Marshall Insurance, which are packing boxes for pick up.  OWC members who have been packing boxes in their homes include Shawna VanBlargan (a Gold Star Mother), Teri Webster, Victoria Sottek, Joe Baumann, Enid Kelley (whose husband Josh was one of the first OWC care package recipients in 2007 in Iraq) and Alexis Ondo. Lindenmeyr Munroe near BWI gave them great pricing on boxes.

Business at Minuteman has been picking up and the Merritts are slowly bringing back employees. They are helping customers with Stage One reopening plans prepare banners, signage, disposable menus, and other needed materials. They are also giving away COVID-19 compliance posters to local businesses to hang in their stores.

“We’re going to keep going,” said Jeff. “We won’t be getting out of this situation any time soon and there’s a mental health piece involved now as front-line people are getting tired. These boxes are a morale boost and what we are doing has become even more important.”

To learn more about OWC, visit their Facebook page, or call Jeff or Diana at Minuteman Press, at (410) 548-7122.

Riding his bike last week, Warren Rosenfeld had an inspiration. He was thinking some mentions on social media about people who were struggling and going hungry. Then he thought about how business in his own restaurants and dozens of others on the Shore was down, with take-out as the only option. He was sure there was a way to connect the two – and the initiative “Delmarva Gift Cards Fighting Hunger” was born.

The idea is simple. People who can buy gift cards from local restaurants and leave them “on account” at the restaurant, as a donation. Then, people who need food can order meals from those restaurants for pick up (and sometimes for delivery. “First and foremost, people need to eat,” said Rosenfeld. “But we also want restaurants to remain viable until the threat of COVID-19 lessens, and the economy stabilizes. I thought if I could convince people to buy gift cards from the restaurants of their choice in order to feed others, we could help both.”

Just a little more than a week in, the initiative has raised nearly $2,500 in donated cards across more than a dozen restaurants. “We fed 15 people the first week and they were located between across the Lower Shore. Now we are helping St. Anne’s, Diakonia, and Wicomico Partnership for Families & Children. People are referring to others who need help to the Facebook page and new restaurants are signing on.”
Rosenfeld says there are three ways to help: 1) buy gift cards, 2) drivers are needed for pick up delivery to families, and 3) nominate a family in need. Restaurants currently participating include WORCESTER County – Boxcar 40, The Surfing Rooster, Lido’s Pizza Ocean City, Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli, Dairy Queen, 45th Street Tap House and Carrabba’s’ Italian Grille. SUSSEX County: Pete’s Steak Shop, Kickin’ Chicken, Rosenfeld’s Jewish Deli, Kacey’s Delight, Housten-White & Co., Touch of Italy, and The Wheelhouse. The first to join in WICOMICO County is The Farmer’s Wife.

Chris Eccleston, president of Delmarva Veteran Builders in Salisbury, issued a challenge to his staff a couple of weeks ago: bring in some ideas about how they could support local military veterans in the community.

“We are working while others are hurting and it important that we do what we can,” said Eccleston. “I had been trying to inspire staff with thoughts on leadership during a crisis from Jesus, Mother Theresa, from a story I was reading about WWII pilot and hero Butch O’Hare (for whom the Chicago airport is named), and Jay Deputy stepped up with a plan.”

Deputy, who is the company’s operations manager, knew the company had a list of veterans from another DVB project they host at Thanksgiving as well as a relationship with the Veterans Administration. The company also has its collective ear to the ground from projects across Delmarva that could identify non-military families in need.

“It’s a simple plan,” said Deputy. “We are raising money from within the company to fund grocery gift cards. Each week we provide one each to a veteran in need and a local family in need. Instead of showing up with generic groceries, this gives them the power to exactly what they need. We will keep going until the ‘green light’ when the state opens again.”