If you’re in trouble, the Ministerial Alliance is here to help.

For years, the various churches in the group have coordinated charity efforts in the community, connecting the needy with appropriate organizations. But with the advent of COVID-19, the team is facing a humanitarian crisis unlike any they’ve faced before.

With businesses shutting down, employees laid off and citizens staying home, the money usually collected by the Alliance is now a little harder to come by.

The Alliance’s Easter service, where a large portion of the funds are donated by the community, has even been canceled.

Rev. Allen Carson, Alliance president, said the hotline number has been ringing day in and day out. People are calling about food, supplies, gasoline and fellowship.

Carson also said that people are scared. But the Ministerial Alliance wants to fight off the fear.

“People are lonely, afraid and anxious,” said Carson.

“They need someone to talk to. We can be a listening ear and want to remind them they’re not alone and that we can get through this.”

The church cooperative connects each caller with the right organization. These groups include The Lord’s Harvest, Blessing Baskets, United Way, Wesley in ACTSion, Community Action, Salvation Army and El Reno Public Schools.

Carson said that the most cost-effective way to feed the needy is through The Lord’s Harvest. People apply through Community Action, and they get assistance from The Lord’s Harvest if they qualify. If applicants don’t qualify, they can still seek assistance from the Ministerial Alliance.

Due to the ever growing lockdown across the nation, the Ministerial Alliance anticipates the requests to increase in the coming weeks. With more and more political leaders telling people to stay home, Carson expects that many people will continue showing a scarcity mentality. He referenced the bare shelves at grocery stores, toilet paper and canned food becoming rare treasures.

People, even the financially stable, are stocking up for the next few weeks, but this may cause problems for those with a more immediate need.

The Ministerial Alliance’s priority is to help the most needy first, so they are wary of anyone trying to stock up excessively.

“We’re making sure we work together so that those resources will be there for the long haul,” said Carson.

“We feel people are still dealing with not being able to get the items they need, and you can see that when you go to the store.”

The Alliance is convening every week to address these issues, assessing who needs what and deciding how to best use resources provided by the charity groups. Some of these charities have working relationships with Walmart and other stores.

Alliance members are also working to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, scrubbing clean everything they come into contact with. To effect social distancing, various church pastors are participating in weekly conference calls through the Zoom app.

These video calls are joined by faculty from El Reno Public Schools and other community partners.

Even with all the groups working in unison, there’s a danger that some people may fall through the cracks. Carson wants people to know that they can always find help in the Ministerial Alliance, and he encourages people to pitch in however they can.

“Those who need help, reach out. Those who are financially stable, don’t forget to contribute to our churches and community partners and support our local businesses.”

Each church in the Ministerial Alliance has been asked to provide money to keep operations going. Donations from the public are also appreciated.

Checks can be sent to the Ministerial Alliance at P.O. Box 974.