By Kat Bryant

Grays Harbor News Group

A Facebook group called Harbor Help for the Home Bound is linking people all over the county with items and services they need.

Jim Reynolds of Aberdeen started the group March 13 with the idea of finding volunteers willing to pick up groceries for elderly people who were unable or afraid to leave their homes during the COVID-19 outbreak.

“I know there are those people who kind of isolate, and along with isolation comes an inability to pick up things like groceries and medications; and not everyone has family that is able to help,” he said. “I just wanted to put out an idea that would encourage that.”

Within days, it grew way beyond that scope as people stepped up to offer all manner of goods and services.

A scroll through the posts reveals some looking to share their supplies of everything from pet food, to eggs from their own chickens. At least one care worker and one notary are offering mobile services to the homebound. An animal lover is offering to help with pet needs, and at least two people were willing to make large batches of food for distribution.

When group member Teresa Lamoreaux posted a plea for a special type of baby formula for a friend in need, Roberta Edwards purchased some for her. “I’m very proud of this group,” Edwards said via the site. “A lot of people actually do care, and I see a lot of help and support in this group.”

Dan Wood of Montesano, who is helping Reynolds coordinate aid within the group, observed that the pandemic has created a different kind of need.

“The virus is affecting so many of our daily life choices,” he said. “Part of the needs coming up are driven by people not having work, or not finding what they need at the store. But some are simply too afraid to go to the store because there are so many people there.”

So far, most of the group’s posts are made by people offering aid.

“The people who are willing to help are the ones who are more likely to be connected with Facebook; those who need the help, sadly, are not,” said Reynolds. “So we have a whole army of people who want to help, but have had contact with just a few people that needed help.”

Still, plenty of good is being done as word gets out.

Wood made a request for face masks on behalf of an Aberdeen friend who’s had two organ transplants, making him extremely immunocompromised.

“I had tried four or five different pharmacies, with no luck … so I posted there,” said Wood. “Probably half a dozen people stepped up to help a man they didn’t know. I ended up picking up the masks, made by someone in Elma, and took them down to Aberdeen.”

Katy Rohrscheib said she was able to connect with a local notary. “She came to our home to notarize a document for my husband,” she said. “This group has been amazing!”

Also available through the group is information about online church services, grab-and-go student lunch program updates and more.

“The biggest benefit of the group is it’s an emotional boost,” said Reynolds. “People see people helping each other, and it makes them feel good.”

He would like to see the group continue in a positive manner and protect members from potential harm. He occasionally removes posts that don’t fit with that goal.

“So far, as I’ve perused the group site, it hasn’t devolved too much,” he said. “One of the dangers of Facebook — along with the good that it does — it’s becoming a place where people can hurt each other. I want to make sure that doesn’t happen here.”

Reynolds is working with a tech company to devise a more secure way for people to connect with those in need without endangering either party. The idea, he said, is to create a way to cut out the middleman — much like an online dating site. One party could reach out to another, who in turn could choose to accept that contact in a secure online environment before deciding whether to take the next step.

If successful, Reynolds will announce the launch through the Facebook group. But even if it doesn’t happen, he’ll be content.

“If people just continue to use the group site this way,” he said, “then we’re better off than we were before.”

He’s quick to shrug off any credit for the group’s success.

“I’m the worker bee type. If people need help, I like to help,” he said. “This is not about me; it’s about the people of Grays Harbor who are really impressive people who really want to help each other.”