Key Peninsula leaders organize to confront virus; Foodbackpacks 4 Kids moves to pickups

Leaders from the Key Peninsula community including members of the Key Peninsula Community Council gathered Sunday evening at the Blend Wine Shop to brainstorm ways to help those in their community and come up with resources to help families in need of child care, meals and more.

Ben and Susan Paganelli of KP Partnership for a Healthy Community are leading the efforts to organize.

While no confirmed cases have yet been reported in that area, the district’s fire chief, Dustin Morrow, told the group via phone that it was “important to have a conversation about what are the true needs.

“Taking away the medical component, what are the impacts from the other mitigation efforts that have been put in place? What resources are available that could fill a need if it presents” itself.

The fire district’s public information officer Anne Nesbit noted in a Facebook post on Sunday that the district has “established and prepared a District facility as a quarantine or isolation location in the event an employee or volunteer chooses that over home quarantine or isolation.”

Meanwhile, the non-profit Foodbackpacks 4 Kids announced that it will continue to provide food packets for children in need on the Peninsula. Food will be available each Saturday at noon during the closure at three pickup points:

▪ The parking lot at Henderson Bay High School, 8402 Skansie Ave.

▪ Gateway Park parking lot. 10405 State Route 302, KPN

▪ Evergreen Elementary School parking lot, 1820 Key Peninsula Hwy SW, Lakebay.

Families with school-aged children not already in the program may join by sending an email to info@foodbackpacks4kids.org. Include the pickup location most convenient to you and the number of children.

This story was originally published March 17, 2020 at 12:00 AM.