LYNNFIELD — The Lynnfield Housing Authority (LHA) is celebrating a tremendous feat: The group made it through the pandemic with zero cases of COVID-19 in either of its units.
The housing authority has 64 units for the elderly and disabled at 600 Ross Drive and another eight units for disabled residents on Main Street. With over 70 individuals living in an LHA facility, the Authority didn’t have a single COVID-19 case, even in times when the virus was spreading rapidly through homes and housing units for the elderly during 2020.
LHA Chair James Wilkie credited the hard work of the authority’s employees and volunteers, as well as the dedication and caution of the residents, for this great success.
Wilkie said that, in an effort to minimize contact and practice social distancing, LHA partnered with Calvary Christian Church’s Good Hope Inc. food bank on Grove Street as well as the Lynnfield Council on Aging (COA) to service the residents in the facility.
Every week, Good Hope Inc. brought in food staples and necessities such as toilet paper, paper towels, soap, hand sanitizer, laundry detergent and masks.
There was a system to this weekly delivery that enforced COVID-19 safety guidelines: Each resident was given a time slot to pick up their food and household supplies. By having a designated time slot, Wilkie said, the residents minimized interactions with others, and did not run the risk of getting near anybody else.
“It was really a great benefit to the residents,” Wilkie said. “Those that didn’t have friends or family to shop for them could get what they needed through the food bank so they didn’t have to risk going to the store.”
Wilkie said the partnership with Good Hope Inc. was a great success and was key to assisting residents in need during the pandemic.
COA Director Linda Naccara said the Senior Center provided approximately 15-20 meals every day to Ross Drive residents through the efforts of LHA Executive Director Dan MacIntyre.
“Throughout all of COVID, Dan was on top of this in helping to keep our senior population healthy,” Naccara said. “Every day, he would pick up the meals and then deliver them, which was a nice service for the folks who didn’t want or weren’t able to get out on their own.”
Naccara said Ross Drive residents also utilized the Senior Center’s popular grab-and-go pickup meal service. In addition, the Senior Center provided weekly rides to supermarkets on Thursdays and pharmacies on Fridays.
Just last week several Ross Drive residents hopped on the COA bus for lobster rolls at Salty’s food truck at the Lot in Middleton followed by ice cream at Richardson’s.
“They were so excited that they called me from the bus,” Naccara said. “We were happy to be able to take them all over during the height of the pandemic and now be able to take them out for a nice day out.”
As for the housing authority as a whole, Wilkie said the current two properties are all they have. He added that they are always looking at opportunities to expand, but have nothing solid planned out right now.
Anne Marie Tobin contributed to this report.
