Facebook Group Offers Support
Michelle Pinon
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Lamont County and Rural Area COVID-19 Assistant & Support group was started by Chipman resident Pamela Mandryk on March 16.
Mandryk said she was laying in bed watching the news when she thought to herself, there needs to support that is easily available through social media to help local residents. She texted her friend Angela MacKinnon that morning to see if she would be interested in acting as a site administrator and then launched the group around 10 am. By the end of the day, they had 100 requests to join the Facebook group.
“Even FCSS asked to join. That’s when I knew we were making an impact.” Mandryk said the group has been really uplifting and she likes the positive vibe that has been created by members. “It’s a safe place for people to share what they’re feeling,” she added.
Mandryk said people who have joined have been “positive and respectful” and have offered to pick up groceries and prescriptions. Members have shared recipes, mindfulness meditation, hypnosis, self-care, coping and grieving resources, YouTube videos, and kids’ activities, to name a few. One of the members also organized a drive-by parade in Lamont for a young birthday boy with the support of the local fire department.
They are also thinking of setting up live feed videos and chats as well as tutorials. “If a person has family living in the country they can join too. It’s a great way to stay connected.” To date, the group has nearly 340 members.
