Providence Food Pantry, a ministry of the Sisters of Providence that serves about 4,000 individuals in West Terre Haute annually, has remained open and sisters and volunteers are taking precautions to protect against the virus.

Sister Barbara Battista, a physician assistant and Congregation Justice coordinator, has worked with departments and the General Council to keep the Covid-19 web page updated, which has become one of our most visited website pages. Sister Barbara is also part of the task force that has been monitoring the virus situation and helping to develop protocols and other measures to ensure the safety of both sisters and staff.

To maintain an important connection to various publics, and provide essential food and other goods, staff and sisters have worked quickly to launch online ordering of produce and other items for curb-side pick-up from the White Violet Center Farm Store and have also encouraged increased online ordering from Linden Leaf Gifts.

Creative video production has resulted in story time with volunteer Tara Elmore reading popular children’s books online, which have been shared far and wide, with young people and the young at heart.    The photo shows Tara reading “Llama, Llama, Red Pajama” to the herd of alpacas, and Facebook Live participants, quickly becoming a favorite outreach! 

Many other sisters are being creative in the way that they minister these days.  ZOOM is being used for connecting groups and committees, and even families with sisters.  The next item on the agenda is to develop a way to conduct the SP Annual Meeting virtually.  Whenever the “new normal” is determined, the Sisters of Providence hope to be prepared!

Barbara McMullen, CDP