Captains Rich and Linnea Forney took the call in the late afternoon that an Aurora family needed help. The couple runs The Salvation Army Aurora Corps and Community Center on the City’s East Side. They spend their days answering calls from residents in need and preparing for the Corps’ twice-weekly Food Pantry.
This call was different. John Ramos, of Aurora and his wife, Chrisann, needed help after Chrisann was diagnosed with COVID-19. With Chrisann hospitalized in the intensive care unit (ICU), John and their daughter were told to be in quarantine at home for 14 days.
The family had little food and supplies to last them and no family to call. That is where The Salvation Army stepped in and delivered two bags of food, cough medicine, Tylenol, and cleaning supplies to the family’s front porch.
“It could happen to any of us, or our family members,” said Captain Rich Forney of The Salvation Army Aurora Corps.
Chrisann Ramos since has recovered and is back home. The Forneys keep in touch with the Ramos family regularly and are glad the outcome was beneficial.
“This is what we do,” said Captain Linnea Forney. “We are happy that we were there to help when they needed us.”
The Aurora Corps is on the front-lines of the COVID-19 crisis and has helped countless families since the start of the pandemic. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to noon, the Corps holds a Food Pantry at its Community Center. The number of families visiting each week has doubled since mid-March, with some families visiting for the first time.
“We have been and will continue to be a resource for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Captain Rich Forney. “We are blessed to serve.”
The Salvation Army Aurora Corps is at 437 E. Galena Boulevard and has served Aurora and surrounding communities for more than 130 years. To make a donation please visit: https://bit.ly/2WwXSmx
— The Salvation Army Aurora