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