Volunteers continue community center’s mission to feed neighbors following mass shooting

WHITE TOWNSHIP, Pa. — At 11 a.m. Wednesday, volunteers gathered in a local lot just a block away from the Chevy Chase Community Center. That’s where a mass shooting happened just after midnight Sunday that left one dead and eight others hurt.

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These volunteers gathered to pack up hot fresh meals to drive to neighbors who are homebound.

“Whether it’s seniors, or someone maybe after surgery, or a disabled person who can’t cook for themselves, we send those hot meals on a daily basis,” said Jennifer Rairigh, a volunteer.

Usually, it’s food that is cooked in the kitchens at the Chevy Chase Community Center. Even though state police are done with their investigation, volunteers and neighbors can’t go inside just yet, so they can’t use the kitchens.

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Insurance adjusters have to check everything out — and then they have to clean.

“Right now, we’re not going to know that until tomorrow or Friday, and then we’ll have some idea of how long we either need to do this in a parking lot or if there is another place close by,” Rairigh said.

It’s not just for those who are homebound. More than 100 people each day come to the center for that hot meal and socialization with their neighbors. They’ve been able to get those meals thanks to the county’s Aging Services, local stores, and restaurants all coming together to help out so they can continue this through all of next week.

But Rairigh said they’re ready to get back to a sense of normalcy after this deadly shooting over the weekend.

“Chevy Chase Community Center is a place that has done nothing but help people all these years,” Rairigh said. “We’ve decided to just stay focused on our mission, which is making sure that people have the food they need and helping the people in any way that we can.”

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Right now, it’s still uncertain on when things will return to normal for the services at the community center, but they’re hopeful it’ll be soon.

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