(Marco Barberi, an exchange student this year at Waterville High School, waves to the car train going by the home of his host family, the Pearsalls, on Bogan Road Friday. Barberi returned to Germany over the weekend.)
Normally it takes up to two hours for four or five volunteers at The Country Pantry to unload the truck bringing food each month from the CNY Food Bank.
Last week the thousands of pounds of food delivered made it into the basement of the Church of the Annunciation in about 25 minutes.
Country Pantry Director Mary Zimbler said so many volunteers showed up that Monday morning to help the work went fast. Other volunteers helped unpack the cans and boxes, set up Easter bags for families and coordinate bags for the next day’s pick up by families in the program.
“People have been very generous with their time,’’ Zimbler said. “It’s been a blessing since we’re seeing more need right now.’’
People in New York state continued to live under a Stay Home, Stay Safe order, going out only as needed for groceries or to work if deemed an essential worker by the state restrictions.
Cases continued to increase across the state, which has the highest total of those who have tested positive and those who have died from the coronavirus. Last week the United States surpassed China for the most cases confirmed.
Madison County Health Department reported the county’s first death, an elderly person with underlying health issues who lived in Hamilton. Later in the week Hamilton Mayor RuthAnn Loveless announced she has tested positive for the virus.
The first case connected to Madison County was...