Freeport tries to sustain community during covid-19 pandemic

No one asked Jackie Gaughan to organize a free lunch program in Freeport, but in less than 24 hours, she did.

“The town just really rallies together at times like this,” said Gaughan. “It’s great to be a part of this small town.”

Like towns across the region, Freeport is facing unknowns as its residents and businesses take precautions to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

Schools are closed for two weeks. Nonessential businesses are closing their doors one by one. Restaurants are struggling to stay open with carry-out options.

Pat Mersky, co-owner of Lucy’s Riverside Cafe, fears her restaurant won’t make it through the times of uncertainty.

“Freeport cannot afford to lose another business,” she said, standing in front of an empty dining room that would usually be buzzing with a lunchtime crowd.

Feeding Freeport

Gaughan isn’t sure what possessed her to start the free meal service other than the fact that she saw a need.

She partnered with her church, Christ Community Fellowship, to sponsor the food purchases and created a GoFundMe page called “Feeding Freeport.” As soon as money started pouring in, she got in her truck and visited a butcher shop and three grocery stores to collect supplies for the week.

By Tuesday morning, Gaughan had meals prepped and planned for the rest of the week. Tuesday’s meal was a choice between egg salad or peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, but that was only because she needed a quick option to get the program rolling.

She made bowls and bowls of egg salad in her home Monday night. Options later in the week will include a pasta salad and beef stroganoff.

By about 9 a.m. Tuesday, a group of seven volunteers met at Trinity Lutheran Church to package about 250 sack lunches.

Two of the volunteers who arrived Tuesday were seniors at Freeport Area High School. With no classes to attend and their regular school activities canceled, they said there was nothing stopping them from contributing to this cause.

The GoFundMe campaign raised nearly $900 by Wednesday afternoon, and more than 100 meals were distributed Tuesday. Gaughan said she will continue the program as long as there is a need and there is funding.

Trickle down

Heidi Powell, owner of Next­Home Dynamic, a real estate agency where Gaughan was distributing meals Tuesday, said Gaughan asked her to participate in the initiative Monday, and together they’ve been gathering community interest through word of mouth. For Powell, Gaughan’s “Feeding Freeport” initiative is a “bright spot” to a very bleak, worrisome situation.

“You’ve got to figure that the pandemic has trickle-down effect to those who are working for tips, working for small businesses,” Powell said. “This is the tip of the iceberg. I think we’re going to see more people affected by not being able to work.”

Gaughan expects local residents to fall onto tough times. Hours will be cut; wages will be stalled. People will need help getting by during this period of uncertainty, she said.

“We need to do something now, because the community is going to suffer,” she said.

Matt Vogan is thinking about his employees and the people they serve. He manages Upper Deck Sports Bar on Fifth Street. Vogan is taking each day one at a time, trying to adapt and find a way to serve the community while keeping his employees secure in their income.

“I can’t really give up on my employees, because they need their jobs,” Vogan said.

His bartenders make only $4 an hour, relying mostly on tips to make a living. Now, he is trying to focus on food service, offering both dine-in and carry-out options. As long as there aren’t more than 10 people in his dining room, and they sit far apart, he will serve them.

Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered all restaurants to shutdown their dine-in facilities. The governor is allowing restaurants and bars that offer carry-out, delivery or drive-through services to stay open, but eating or drinking inside is prohibited.

“I ain’t going nowhere, unless they come in here and tell me I’ve got to close,” Vogan said to a customer over the phone, taking their lunch order.

Closing down altogether just doesn’t feel like an option. He has food that’s already been ordered, and he can’t let it go to waste.

But every day is a mystery. Vogan doesn’t even know who he’ll place on the schedule tomorrow, if anyone at all.

Scraping to stay open

It took Mersky four years to build business at Lucy’s Riverside Cafe.

“And I don’t want to lose that,” she said.

Mersky, 65, has lung problems and is therefore at a higher risk of covid-19. She worries what closing will do to her business and its employees. She’s offering discounted foods and meals — anything to bring customers in and buy the inventory she’s already paid for.

But it’s the nonessential businesses that drive the character and economy of Freeport, business owners and residents said.

“It feels terrible,” said Jennifer Dillaman, co-owner of Scott’s Scuba Service. “I mean let’s be honest, we don’t need to scuba dive. Is this going to affect us long-term?”

Hours at the scuba shop are operating normally Tuesday and Wednesday as they assess customer’s needs, but Dillaman imagines the store will reduce hours or shut down in the coming days.

“If I close my doors, I don’t pay my bills,” she said.

Gaughan said the meals will be available to everyone, from any community or municipality. She also said she’s placing no limits on the number of lunches a single person takes each day.

“We’re not going to let anybody go hungry,” she said.

The lunches will be distributed between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Monday through Friday, behind NextHome Dynamic on Fifth Street. Gaughan is also planning to deliver lunches to residents in Freeport’s high-rise apartment building.

“Because we’re fortunate and we’re blessed, we tend to lose sight of the people in need,” Gaughan said. “We’re here to take care of each other.”