FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEIGHBORLINK FORT WAYNE RESPONSE PLANS TO COVID-19

Fort Wayne, Ind ¦ March 16th, 2020 -- NeighborLink Fort Wayne invites vulnerable neighbors impacted by COVID-19 - who have tangible needs beyond their physical and/or financial ability to overcome on their own or within their circle of community - to seek assistance by sharing their needs on our website or by giving us a call. NeighborLink is prepared to be the connection point between needs falling through the cracks of traditional social services and non-vulnerable neighbors who are looking for opportunities to help their neighbors.

NeighborLink has been an organization where vulnerable neighbors can seek assistance from other neighbors since we began serving Fort Wayne in 2003. Over 10,000 tangible and practical neighbor-to-neighbor expressions of God's love through service and volunteerism have been completed in that time, with 3,500 requests for assistance and 1,400 completed projects in 2019. We have built a community of concerned neighbors that will be looking for ways to help during this uncertain time.

WHAT IS VULNERABLE?

We consider "vulnerable" to include the following: seniors, those with disabilities, low-income families, those facing a medical crisis, and anyone impacted by life's circumstances to the point of needing help from others. We welcome anyone to seek assistance who believe they need help.

WHAT CAN I ASK FOR HELP WITH? 

Any tangible need you can identify that relates to your ability to navigate the impact of COVID-19 on you and/or your family's life, as advice on social distancing is heeded to minimize the spread of the virus. Here are some examples:

Grocery shopping and/or delivery

Meal preparation & delivery 

Social connection via phone calls from other neighbors

Any project you could use some help with that limits the physical connection between you and the volunteer.

I WANT TO HELP!

We also want you to help and welcome you to register as a volunteer at www.nlfw.org. Registering now ensures that you will be ready to go when mobilization begins. We are currently fine-tuning our strategy for volunteer mobilization and developing volunteer procedures to ensure we're creating as safe of an environment as possible due to the vulnerabilities of those we aim to serve. We have volunteer recommendations on our website.

About NeighborLink Fort Wayne

NeighborLink Fort Wayne is a 501(c)3 non-profit Christian ministry that invites Fort Wayne residents and organizations to seek free assistance from their neighbors and invites Fort Wayne residents to join volunteer project teams to provide free assistance.  NeighborLink Fort Wayne volunteers completed 1394 projects in 2019.

NeighborLink Fort Wayne's mission is to provide practical, neighbor-to-neighbor expressions of God's love.  For more information, or to donate or volunteer, visit www.nlfw.org or call 260.209.0074.

Media Contact - Andrew Hoffman   260.209.0074