PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Laborers' Union Local 57 and the Philadelphia Sheriff's office hosted a drive-thru food and supplies giveaway and testing site over the weekend. The response indicated that the need for help is significant.
Philadelphia Sheriff Rochelle Bilal was handing out boxes of food on North 6th Street. She said there was a need like never before there.
"There are families that have never went out asking for food, but this is a different time," she said. "We don't want them to be ashamed to say that there's no food in their house."
Esteban Vera with Laborers' Local 57 called it a one-stop shop.
"COVID testing, food drive giveaway," he detailed. "We're giving out school supplies."
Vera admitted these aren't normal times. "We have to take care of each other. I know that times are weird right now for school for the kids, people are hurting for money, for food," he said.
Dr. Monika VanSant was monitoring the mobile COVID-19 testing site. She pointed out in an effort to get as many people tested as possible, they forwent all copays.
"First they do the check-in and then they do the swabbing. It's about a 10, 15-minute process," she explained. "If you don't feel like you need it, you might be an asymptomatic carrier. You could be contagious."
People could drive through or step out to get tested, and then they drove a few feet to pick up food.
"That's it, we load 'em up, pop the trunk, we're loading them up with food and supplies and stuff like that," said Vera.
"There's a desperate situation going on in the country," added Bilal, who said it was personal.
"I grew up in North Philly. There were times that I didn't have food on our table and so I know the feeling of not being able to eat, and so this is passion with me," she shared.
This won't be the only testing, food and supply drive they're having. More information is available at the sheriff's office website.
"We've got another one on North Broad Street in two weeks and then we're going to go into how we can feed families with hot meals during the cold wintertime," Bilal said. "So we're not stopping."
