Posted by Rosaria Stoops on Apr 29, 2020
Rosaria Stoops, Manager at Allentown Mission, sent us this message earlier this week.  Haven't sent an Amazon order yet?  Just use this link!    "Help us help our men" by donating supplies. Please send them "Attention Rosaria"
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I would LOVE to say thank you to all my fellow Rotarians and friends! When one hears “essential employees” you can look at it in so many ways. I think of it as the people who are in the nursing homes helping with the true high rise people, the flight crews who must keep operating since some flights HAVE to happen, then we have the postal workers, UPS, FED EX, and my favorite AMAZON. Not even going into health care workers, testing site places, and many other people. I never thought taking a job at a non-profit as a fundraiser, I would be an Essential employee.
 
I think of myself as special, oh sure! What really defines essential? This is something I have thought about for many nights when I have tried to go to bed, when I am BEYOND tired, when the world is a blur, I have no idea what day it is, I don’t even KNOW the number of hours I worked! For our New Norm/survival is so different then back in 2019. I feel like back in 2019 I was carefree and now I have aged 10 years! I have not been “zoomed” into a rotary meeting in so long, but I have never felt so committed to our goals more then now. Service above Self, its truly an honor to serve the homeless community during this.
I feel a sense of pride when I say I work at the Allentown Rescue Mission, that we are still open. That instead of our emergency shelter being open ONLY from 4pm - 8am we have it open 24 hours a day! That we are still taking in new men. That
We have been here, and we plan to stay here. We started in 1900, and we are going strong with the help of our local donors like all of you!

We can not do any of this without everyone help. That help comes in so many forms, as donations of money, in kind donations of food, masks, hand sanitizer, and even some of you offering your services like helping us apply for the PPE Grant. Together we can all help men in need. You all have helped me believe in humanity in this time. When the days are dark and filled with stress and sadness, an Amazon package comes and I know, my Rotary friends have my back! So, thank you from the bottom of my tired and stressed out heart!
 
Until we Lunch again, remember "Service Above Self" can sometimes come in an Amazon box!
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