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Friendship Village handles crisis

FAIRMONT — About 135 residents of Friendship Village in Fairmont live in 115 conjoined apartment clusters on Home Street. The vast majority of them live alone. They are elderly or have health challenges, making them among the most vulnerable to the COVID-19 coronavirus.

Gail Diede, executive director of Fairmont’s Housing and Redevelopment Authority which manages Friendship Village, reported that none of the complex’s residents have tested positive for the virus, and she credits this to their diligence in following the safety guidelines.

“At the beginning, the big warning was for the elderly, and they listened to that very well,” she said. “They go to the store, do what they need to do, and they’re right back home.”

She sees residents out for a walk, but never in a group, and people don’t gather for conversations any more. The only visitors on the property are the personal care attendants checking on their clients.

Since the governor issued the “stay at home” order, the Friendship Village community building is closed, shuttering the usual site for weekday congregate meals, coffee, bingo or other games. The meals are still prepared by Lakeview Methodist Health Care Center, through a contract with Lutheran Social Services, and delivered to registered residents. Other residents get food through alternative providers like Meals on Wheels or Mom’s Meals.

But the fellowship is gone, at least for the time being.

“They call the office once in a while if they’re getting a little stir crazy,” Diede said with a chuckle. “It’s been quiet, but they’re ready to do more things, just like everybody else. They miss going to church and having that face-to-face contact.

“It’s inconvenient right now, but in the long run, everybody is going to be better off. We’ve been doing really well, especially when there’s so many people here. They haven’t been active for a while, but we have not had anybody with a (coronavirus) case either.”

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