Over 100 organizations within the Gloucester Resource Council have been working diligently amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address issues impacting the Gloucester community and to preserve a sense of normalcy. One of these examples came in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Isaias ravaging a portion of the community, leaving some residents without power and with substantial damage to their homes and properties.

The GRC decided to meet the day after the storm, even as organizations had much work on their hands to assess damage and reopen. “The GRC was seen as a staple to analyze needs facing the community and support in whatever way possible,” said Hunter LeClair, chair of the GRC.

As a result of the meeting, two GRC organizations, the Salvation Army and Helping the Homeless, connected with Gloucester’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) to come onsite to support the households impacted. Wendy Roundy, director of Helping the Homeless, coordinated with Jane Wenner, Gloucester’s A...