Due to the rapid spread of COVID-19, Livi Kriha’21 has taken it upon herself to assist those in her neighborhood of LaGrange during this time of uncertainty.

“Even if it doesn’t seem like it from the outside, I know a lot of people are struggling,” Kriha said. “It’s a scary time and I want people to understand that there’s someone out there looking out for and thinking about [them].”

Starting March 17, Kriha and her mother, Darcy Kriha, began creating little cards that they placed in neighbors’ mailboxes. These cards stated who they were, their address and their phone number. They then included a little checkbox section asking if the recipient needed any groceries, a dog walked, urgent supplies, books, any mail sent or just a friendly phone call.

So far three families have contacted Kriha for basic supplies, groceries and some books to read. On their front porch is a box of supplies for people to take what they need. The box consists of items such as soap, lotion, laundry detergent, toilet paper, toothpaste, soup, pasta, books and games. Kriha has also continued passing out flyers and spreading this information online so more people will seek her help during this health crisis, she said.

“We are discovering that people are very lonely and we need to take better care of each other,” Darcy said. “This is really too bad because we all need help sometimes. We try as a family to find some way every day to serve others. It doesn’t need to be anything big or organized – even small gestures mean a lot to people.”

Having been encouraged by the quote from Marian Wright Edelman (“service is the rent we pay for being on this earth”), the family has made a commitment to living a life of service, believing that people whose paths they cross will pay it forward in the future, she said.

With this in mind, Kriha and her mother plan on continuing this neighborhood support at least until the shelter-in-place is lifted and most likely longer.

“It’s a really difficult time for a lot of people right now,” Kriha said, “[I hope that what we are doing] will create relationships that will last into the future.”