Partners supports Pernet

By Tanya Connor
The Catholic Free Press
WORCESTER - From infants to COVID-positive adults, a variety of people benefited from last year’s Partners in Charity donations that supported Pernet Family Health Service, according to Pernet’s executive director, Sheilah H. Dooley.
Pernet staff want to make sure people know how thankful they are for this money, said Wanja Kiraguri, director of fund development.
The agency uses Partners money for its Family and Community Development Program, Mrs. Dooley said.
Since the money is unrestricted, it can be used where it is needed, and “that’s where we have the most need,” she said. She said Pernet does not bill clients’ health insurance or any other entity for the services provided free of charge through that program. So Partners money partially pays the salaries of four program staff members and “sometimes we use it to purchase items … like specialty infant formula.” (Most other formula is donated.)
The Family and Community Development Program is made up of three programs: the Emergency Assistance Program, the Youth Program and the Family Activities Program, Mrs. Dooley said.
“I think Pernet should be very proud of how quickly our staff adapted” during the pandemic, said Chris Nelson, director Family Support Services. “It was very important for us to do so. … Our families are in need of consistent support and services.”
The Emergency Assistance Program offers a food pantry and emergency infant supplies, including food and diapers, all of which Pernet continued to provide during the pandemic, Mrs. Dooley said.
People in Pernet’s zip code used to be allowed to come to the pantry monthly, she said. But during the pandemic, and still today, anyone can come whenever they need food. The pantry is open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Pernet’s headquarters at 237 Millbury St.
Staff members pick up free food from Worcester Country Food Bank in Shrewsbury, and food is also donated by local churches and supermarkets, Mrs. Dooley said. Her parish, Blessed Sacrament, donates weekly. Christ the King Parish holds periodic drives for grocery store gift cards.
During the pandemic, staff delivered food to clients who normally receive home visits and to COVID-positive clients, and also paid restaurants to deliver meals to those clients who had the virus, she said.
Food for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and Christmas gifts for children, are also provided through the Emergency Assistance Program, Mrs. Dooley said.
She said Pernet received emergency supplies for infants, and money to buy more items, through a very successful virtual baby shower with an Amazon wish list in May, in connection with Mother’s Day.
When mothers come seeking food for their children, they usually need other items too, Ms. Kiraguri said.
The Emergency Assistance Program is kind of a case management program too, Mrs. Dooley said. Staff try to help clients access resources they need, whether through another Pernet program or an outside one.
Last year’s Partners money helped Pernet serve about 1,200 people, given that it constituted $25,000 of the Family and Community Development Program’s approximately $160,000 budget, and the program served about 7,200 individuals, she said.
In addition to the support from Partners in Charity, Pernet receives money from state contracts, foundations, grants and individuals, Mrs. Dooley said.
Recently, pandemic-related government loans also helped.
During the pandemic regular individual donors increased their donations to Pernet, and foundations gave the agency more money “specifically because of COVID,” she said. Foundations also allowed Pernet to use money originally earmarked for something specific however it was needed.
“We were very astute at finding all the COVID funding that we could ... to continue operations to serve families,” she said.
Among those whom Pernet helps with Partners money are young people.
Pernet’s Youth Group for teenagers ages 14-16 and Homework Club for children ages 8-12, which are part of its Youth Program, continued virtually, though with less success, during the pandemic, Mrs. Dooley said.
She said the Youth Group typically provides social, recreational and educational outings such as field trips to museums, video game places and college campuses. During the pandemic there were virtual games and training opportunities such as how to dress for a job interview.
Homework club members traditionally go to Pernet after school and get help with their studies from students from Assumption University and the College of the Holy Cross, she said. Then the children play in nearby Crompton Park. During the pandemic the children received homework help virtually.
The Youth Program also has a Summer Book Club for elementary school students (“just to keep them reading” and talking about the books they read) and Summer Jobs for Youth (ages 14-16) provided through the Worcester Community Action Council, Mrs. Dooley said. Last summer they just did virtual training for the teenagers. The book club worked OK virtually last summer, and this summer started in person outside on July 12, she said.
Before the pandemic, the Family Activities Program brought children and parents – and many times grandparents – together for holiday parties and arts and crafts, Mrs. Dooley said. She said the first activity since the pandemic shut-down is an outing to Green Hill Park, planned for July 26.
“It’s really nice to see people in the buildings again,” now that programs are resuming in person, she said. “People are happy to see each other – both staff and client families.”