God’s Grace

No one could have predicted what this year would bring. Who would have thought we would be sheltering in place for more than a month? The unknown and figuring out the new normal, can bring up anxiety and fear if we let it. Reflecting on 2 Timothy 1:7, it feels uplifting and powerful to know we are not called to fear but power and of love. I feel overwhelmed with joy with what we see in our own community and communities around the world: people loving people, being innovative, and figuring out how they can be a light to others. We have power in this scenario, we will overcome this, and we will come out stronger, closer, and rested for a new start.

Even though there is light at the end of the tunnel, it does not mean people are feeling less of the strain and stress COVID-19 brings to an individual, a family, and the community From job loss to isolation, medical pressures, and the fear of ultimately contracting COVD-19. In the hospice community, the critical elements of care are to comfort, touch, togetherness. These same elements are also in direct opposition to the distance and separation asked of us during this pandemic. The hospice community is feeling the strain on their practice and with their patients during this pandemic. According to How COVID-19 is Straining Hospice Care, “with the aggressive spread of COVID-19, hospice providers must now minimize visitations and increase protective measures, integrating all the masks and gloves — or mask-like and glove-like items — they can gather.” The article goes on to say, “Hospice workers say the necessary protective equipment can create a barrier to the closeness and intimacy most people crave with a dying loved one living out their final days.” However, they must take precautions for themselves and everyone around them in the midst of their care.

Across the world, communities are coming together in a variety of ways to provide relief efforts for COVID-19. During these unprecedented times, many nonprofits are also seeing an impact, in one way or another, including an increase in demand for critical services.

At Project 4031, we have taken note of what our hospice partners are saying, feeling and needing. In our own way, we have sought out our part is in all of this. Project 4031 is thinking outside the box to find new, creative ways to continue to serve our community during this time. Thanks to our generous supporters, Project 4031 is providing care packages for people in need containing hand sanitizer, gloves, toilet paper, wipes, hygiene items, Bibles, and more. Many hospice patients have felt the effects of loneliness and isolation so community members of all ages are working with us to write them letters and draw pictures to let them know they are not alone. Due to a shortage of supplies, people are also supporting our patients, hospice workers, and medical professional by donating homemade cloth masks. To learn more about how to help in these areas, visit Project4031.org/in-kind-giving.

Due to the shelter at home orders being extended through April 30th to decrease the surge in new COVID-19 cases, many families are reeling. The pressure and strain many are facing creates uncertainty in how families will make ends meet. These are the same experiences our Project 4031 families encounter as they provide end-of-life care for their loved ones. Struggling with the emotional and financial turmoil following a terminal diagnosis, many families who were already struggling to get by before COVID-19 can no longer cover their monthly expenses. The support Project 4031 provides is vital for helping families to meet basic needs like housing, utilities, or groceries.  Your assistance and donations enable them to focus on quality time with their loved ones, while providing them with necessary means. Our working Family at 4031 are planning and preparing for an influx of funding request for our Funding for Families program and need your help. To be a part of Project 4031’s mission and provide for families in need, please visit Project4031.org/donate.

We know these are trying times and we rely on God’s grace and reassurance to know He will see us through this crisis. God’s grace is over all of us, and together as a community, we will make our way through this and be stronger because of it.

About Project 4031
Project 4031, named after the Bible verse Isaiah 40:31, fulfills end of life dreams no matter what age a patient is and offers financial assistance to help families with basic needs. As part of a global initiative, Project 4031 also provides gently used medical equipment to international hospice and palliative care facilities to better the end-of-life journeys for those around the world. For more information, visit project4031.org.