Hope House has always been more
than a “store” to our clients—it is a social gathering spot, a community center
for those who don’t feel comfortable and/or welcomed in other places and
valuable lifeline for those in need. This has become more apparent since we
re-opened from the pandemic closings. We are slow these days—much slower than
normal.
Granted, we are only able to
allow 6 people in to shop at a time, due to social distancing guidelines and we
are unable to accommodate children and, most importantly, I think, we have no
waiting room available! We have turned our beautiful and welcoming waiting room
into the men’s clothing department. Gone is the coffee cart, baskets of cookies
and treats and Disney movies on the television in the children’s area. Our waiting
area was often filled to capacity with moms chatting, children playing and
adults sharing resource information and recipes. It is so quiet. It is so sad.
The fact that we are very slow
these days presses home the point that the social aspect of our waiting room
was a big draw. Here’s a prayer for a quick return to “normal”!!!
