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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 2020)
NEWS A6 • HERMISTONHERALD.COM WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2020 Center still serving seniors during shutdown By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR The Harkenrider Senior Activity Center may be “closed,” but its board mem- bers are still fi nding ways to serve seniors in Hermiston. The senior center, which served in-house lunches fi ve days a week before the pan- demic, now provides meals twice a week by pick-up or delivery at its building at 255 N.E. Second St. behind First United Methodist Church. In June, they provided 591 meals, and had provided 602 before the fi nal meal date in July. Board secretary Judy Fordice said those totals are comparable to what the cen- ter was serving when meals were provided fi ve days a week instead of two. “The numbers are really up there,” she said. Almost half the meals are delivered to homes by Meals on Wheels volunteers. Head cook Karen Blair said deliv- eries are “way, way up,” likely because many seniors in the community are afraid to leave their homes when they are at high risk for COVID-19 complications. She said they have also seen a signifi cant number of new people who said they had not previously been aware of the service before they Staff photo by Kathy Aney Julie Rosner, of the Harkenrider Senior Activity Center, hands a lunch through the window of a pickup truck on Tuesday, August 4 as part of a twice-a-week program that takes the place of lunches at the center. began getting the Hermiston Herald for free in May. Coordinating volunteers for delivering meals has been a struggle, board mem- bers said. They need people who are able to run the same route week after week, so that seniors aren’t surprised and worried by a stranger on their doorstep, and so that the drivers can get to know the people on their route and notice when something is wrong. “Some of our elders at home that we deliver to, our Meals on Wheels drivers are Staff photo by Kathy Aney Louis Ables and Karen Blair pack lunches in the Harkenrider Senior Activity Center kitchen for pickup by seniors who drive to the center’s front entrance. the only contact they have for days, and our drivers are aware of that,” Fordice said. Willard Fordice, Judy’s husband, said as restau- rants have done more take- out and delivery as well, the senior center has had a struggle getting enough dis- posable takeout containers to hold meals, particularly microwave-safe ones for the Meals on Wheels deliveries. “That’s our biggest prob- lem right now,” he said. When people were com- ing inside the senior cen- ter to eat or to participate in activities, they would often bring offerings of fresh pro- duce from their gardens. Virginia Beebe said she has missed that. “You can still drop off donations,” she said. “If we can’t use it in a meal, we can still give it to people.” Board members said some people have still been good about donating to the senior center, and area farms have donated potatoes, onions and watermelons. When restaurants were fi rst shut down in March, Nook- ie’s Restaurant and Brewery donated a large amount of perishable food the restau- rant just had delivered the day before but could no lon- ger use. Other organizations donated toilet paper during the toilet paper shortage so that they could offer a roll to Meals on Wheels recipients who needed them. With lines longer than usual at the Hermiston Bot- tledrop, the board said they have also seen an increase in can and bottle donations, which helps fund the extra cost for takeout containers for meals. Seniors can enter the building one at a time to borrow a large-print book or a puzzle from the center’s collection. “We’re always in need of books,” Judy Fordice said. Board members said the isolation of the pandemic has been diffi cult for senior center members who used to spend social time at the center playing cards, tak- ing classes or making crafts together. Virginia Rome Garcia said many are pass- ing the time at home with hobbies like quilting or genealogy work. “They stay home for security and health reasons,” she said. WORSHIP COMMUNITY Running world rallies support for Hermiston grad Tommy Rivers Puzey Puzey said their family has been “blown away” by the number of people reach- ing out from all over the world with offers of help. He said what Rivers Puzey would want, and what his family wants, is for every- one to be the best, kindest person they can be by sup- porting others through posi- tive energy and prayer, text messages, greeting cards, food or whatever else they might have to offer. He wrote an update on Facebook on Monday, Aug. 3, stating that Rivers Puzey’s oxygen levels were improv- ing and that doctors were “incrementally and artfully reducing mechanical assis- tance and sedation.” Rivers Puzey was origi- nally admitted to the hospi- tal in early July with severe respiratory symptoms, and he was eventually diagnosed with lymphoma on July 23. By JADE MCDOWELL NEWS EDITOR Runners all over the world are planning to “Run with Rivs” in solidarity with a former Hermiston gradu- ate battling cancer. Tommy Rivers Puzey, who grew up in Hermiston before making a name for himself in the long-distance running world, is in an inten- sive care unit in Scottsdale, Arizona, being treated for an aggressive form of cancer known as Primary Pulmo- nary NK T-Cell Lymphoma. Participants in the Run with Rivs effort are encour- aged to run, hike, swim, bike or otherwise log work- out miles during Aug. 1-9, and then log their miles at runsignup.com/Race/AZ/ Anywhereintheworld/Run- withRivs and make a dona- tion in his name. People can also donate directly to a GoFundMe account at gofundme.com/f/Tom- my-Rivers-Rest-Up to help cover his medical bills and his family’s expenses. They have committed that any funds they do not need will go to support the Navajo Nation’s battle with COVID-19. Rivers Puzey’s father, Kim Puzey, who still lives in Hermiston and is the gen- eral manager of the Port of Umatilla, said the amount of support that has fl owed in from around the world since his son’s hospitalization has been humbling. “You can’t help but be overwhelmed by the good- ness of people,” he said. Since Rivers Puzey became a professional endurance athlete, Puzey said, he has inspired hun- dreds of thousands of people in their own fi tness journey. 541-567-0272 2150 N. First St., Hermiston August 4th-9th Call ahead and use our Drive thru. Purchase a face mask inside for $5-$7 1 DAY SALE! Staff photo by Kathy Aney, File HOME MAINTENANCE CENTER Tommy Rivers Puzey, left, and Hayden Earl run together during the Butte Challenge 5K/10K Run in 2017 in Hermiston. They virtually train with him through training courses on iFit on NordicTrack tread- mills, or follow his career through Instagram and in running magazines. He has run in large marathons, such as the Las Vegas Marathon, multiple times, placed 16th in the Boston Marathon in 2017 and was an Olympic hopeful early this year until an injury cut that dream short. On the GoFundMe page for Rivers Puzey, many of the page’s donors described how he had pushed them to be more fi t, even though they had never met him in person. “Tommy showed me how to enjoy running again through his iFit training pro- grams,” one wrote. “He is a wealth of knowledge and a true joy with a free spirit that is infectious. Although I have never met him, I feel like I know him through our hours of early morning runs.” 541-567-7534 Blue Mountain 225 100% Douglas Fir $ Brown Bag Pellets per ton $ White Bags Fir-Pine Mix per ton 195 TN10 Wood Stove $ 1,099 • 10”/12” logs • 30,000 BTU ALL STOVES ARE 2020 CERTIFIED St. Johns Episcopal Church Join Us On Our Journey With Jesus. Scripture, Tradition and Reason Family service 9am Sunday N.E. Gladys Ave & 7th, Hermiston PH: 567-6672 We are an all inclusive Church who welcomes all. Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church 565 W. HERMISTON AVE. DAILY MASS: Monday-Friday ...............................English 7:00 am Thursday...............Spanish 6:00 pm SATURDAY:.........English 5:00 pm ...............................Spanish 7:00 pm SUNDAY:..............English 9:00 am ..........................Bilingual 11:00 am ..............................Spanish 1:00 pm Office..............................567-5812 LANDMARK BAPTIST CHURCH First Christian Church “Proclaiming the Message of Hope, Living the Gospel of Love” Sunday School...9:15 am Worship Service...10:30 am Children’s Church 10:45 am 567-3013 775 W. Highland Ave., Hermiston NEW BEGINNINGS CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP Sun. Bible Classes...................10:00am Sun. Worship Service..............11:00am Sun. Evening Worship..............6:00pm Wed. Prayer & Bible Study......6:00pm Worship Service 10:30 AM Sunday School 9:00 AM Pastor J.C. Barnett Children’s Church & Nursery Available 700 West Orchard Avenue P.O. Box 933 Hermiston, Oregon www.hermistonlmbc.com 541-289-4774 125 E. Beech Ave. • 567-3232 Pastor David Dever Seventh-day Adventist Church Saturdays Sabbath School........9:30 a.m. Worship Service......11:00 a.m. English & Spanish Services 567-8241 Hermiston Jr. Academy 1300 NW Academy Lane, • Hermiston PET OF THE W EEK Reece is a very chill & sweet old man that is about 10 years old. He loves to be around his people, but not super cuddly, but he loves to have his ears rubbed. He loves to sit outside in the shade and feel the wind on his face. Reece does have some aging issues, is on a strict diet for his weight and will need regular grooming. Due to his age and health, we prefer he isn’t around young children. MEET REECE August 7 th 8am-6pm % 30 OFF Klutz Activity Sets & Melissa & Doug WEEKLY SALES 20 % OFF • Rugs & Floor Mats • Bulk Nuts Sidewalk Sale Clearance Clothing 50% OFF Reg Retail Please maintain 6 feet social distancing while in the store. Mark Sargent, DVM • Brent Barton, DVM Eugenio Mannucci, DVM, cVMA • Jana von Borstel, DVM, cVMA Small and Large Animal Care Mon: 8-6 Tue - Fri: 8-5 Sat: 8-12 Emergency Service 541.567.1138 80489 Hwy 395 N Hermiston www.oregontrailvet.com Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, animal shelters need our help more than ever. Please donate to your local shelter, or offer to foster an animal in need. If interested please go to fuzzballrescue.com and fill out an application. If you are not able to adopt, but would like to foster or donate, visit fuzzballrescue.com or you can mail in donations to Fuzz Ball Animal Rescue, PO Box 580, Hermiston, OR 97838 To share your worship times call 541-278-2678
