Havre churches to distribute supply baskets from Timber Creek

Timber Creek Village Assisted Living of Havre delivered 20 baskets of supplies to St. Jude Parish Center Tuesday, to be distributed to the churches of Havre and given to elderly people in need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Timber Creek Administrator Tina Petersen came up with the idea and, along with Timber Creek Assistant Administrator Erin May, delivered the baskets assembled by Timber Creek employees to the parish center Tuesday morning. She said the baskets are meant to help elderly residents of Havre who may be short on supplies or entertainment during their isolation.

“With all the things going on with the pandemic right now, we wanted to make sure that other elderly people in the community could have the stuff that they needed during this hard time,” she said.

Petersen said these baskets are full of toilet paper, paper towels, water, band-aids, hand sanitizer, hand soap, candy and puzzles, purchased by Timber Creek and put together by their staff this past week.

“We have amazing staff,” she said.

Petersen said she contacted the parish center because she thought it would be a good distribution point for getting the baskets to the other churches in the area. She added that the various churches around Havre would have the best idea of who was in the most need.

“Maybe they know a widow, or an older couple that they know shouldn’t be going out right now.” She said, “I figured that … would be an easier way to get them out into the community, that they would know the people that would be in the most need.”

Churches around Havre, and the country, have been providing services to their congregants through the internet in the wake of COVID-19.

St. Jude Thaddeus Deacon Tim Maroney said they make a point to ask if the people they speak to need help, and these baskets are one way they can help elderly people meet there needs more easily.

Petersen said Timber Creek is prepared to continue making baskets if these prove successful.

“If it goes over well, and there’s a need … we definitely could,” she said.

She said this was Timber Creek’s way of helping the elderly outside of their retirement village.

“In our residence, we know they’re safe, we know they’re warm, we know they’re well fed,” Petersen said, “But the ones in the community, we didn’t know. So, this is our way of giving back a little.”

She encouraged everyone, elderly or otherwise, to exercise caution during the pandemic.

“Everybody be safe out there and stay home if you don’t need to go out,” she said.