Rep. Mark Batinick volunteers with his new Helping Hands program to assist the elderly with errands to keep them safe from COVID-19. | Rep. Mark Batinick / Facebook
Rep. Mark Batinick volunteers with his new Helping Hands program to assist the elderly with errands to keep them safe from COVID-19. | Rep. Mark Batinick / Facebook
Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) launched a new program to help senior citizens stay safe from COVID-19 as some reports show the coronavirus spread could continue into July.
Batinick started a Helping Hands program, which would help senior citizens and others at a higher risk of catching COVID-19 with any errands they might need, a news release said.
“With the recent updates from the IDPH, it is clear that the coronavirus is circulating in our community,” Batinick said in the news release. “Our most vulnerable members in our community remain the top concern and I am asking for our community to work together to help these people. As the virus continues to affect more and more people, the health and safety of our entire community matters—but some are more at risk than others.”
He said the elderly and individuals with health conditions are at risk, and he is encouraging them to stay home. If they need to go out, Batinick said to contact the Helping Hands program and a volunteer will be able to help with errands.
On March 26, the Helping Hands program was distributing food to the community with a mobile pantry.
"Our Helping Hands volunteers, myself and staff were out today helping pack and distribute food to our community. Thank you to all that made this mobile food pantry happen. We loaded up 144 cars with food," Batinick said in a Facebook post.
Batinick's program comes at a time when it is needed most, especially with experts from Columbia University predicting a scenario where the coronavirus peaks after July 31, 2020, the New York Times reported.
Researchers at the university said to the New York Times that the number of those infected with COVID-19 could top 24,000 in mid-June.
In Illinois, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has implemented a stay-at-home order through April 30 and many other control measures are in place.
"I don't come to this decision easily," Pritzker said to Patch. "I fully recognize that in some cases, I am choosing between saving people's lives and saving people's livelihoods. But ultimately you can't have a livelihood if you don't have your life."
Alerts Sign-up