Staff and volunteers at The HUB on Smith prepared and delivered just under 106,000 meals in fiscal year 2019-2020

When the COVID-19 virus arrived in Sheridan County last March, The HUB on Smith had to make the tough decision to close the doors and develop new techniques to serve the most vulnerable members of the community. 

While appearing on Sheridan Media’s Public Pulse, Human Resource Manager for The HUB on Smith, Sheree Childers-Cossel, spoke on the initial challenges that faced the HUB leadership in meeting the food needs of seniors that would no longer be dining in the cafeteria while adding more names to the list. 

The kitchen staff followed Centers for Disease Control guidelines, they stayed home when they needed to and divided into two separate shifts. This would allow the kitchen more time to prepare the meals that would be delivered to Sheridan seniors and should one staff fall ill with the coronavirus, the kitchen wouldn’t be forced to close. 

According to Childers-Cossel, staff came together as a team and took those measures seriously, knowing the services they provided were critical to a portion of the population that may have no one else to lean on. Staff not only met the challenges but also appreciated the opportunity to work for a great cause when many in the community began to lose employment.  

The evidence of the team’s hard work is reflected in the numbers. According to the HUB on Smith’s report for fiscal year 2019-2020, the work of kitchen staff and volunteers produced and delivered 105,739 meals.  

According to the report, Goose Creek Transit provided 40,154 rides to Sheridan citizens. The HUB on Smith provided 17,800 hours of Help at Home Services and almost 18,500 hours of Day Break Services.