McHenry Coronavirus: $33K Raised For Front-Line Workers

MCHENRY COUNTY, IL—When Erin McElroy began seeing the toll the new coronavirus was having on her community, for her, sitting back and doing nothing was just not an option. As an "invisible storm" forced its way into her community, packing with it sickness and financial uncertainty, she knew she had to take action.

"At end of February, it was clear that so many of our local businesses were going to have financial hardships, and there would be a major stress on our front line," McElroy told Patch.

McElroy and her family live in a 100-year-old house on Main Street in the heart of Crystal Lake. The vibe in downtown today feels much different than it did two months ago, she said. If she could wave a magic wand and make COVID-19 disappear so that life could return to normal, she would in a heartbeat.

"If you are out driving as an essential worker, and you went by any of these Main Street communities, I mean, it’s a ghost town," McElroy said. "If you’re sitting at home, you can only think about how there’s no one out there shopping and spending in those stores."

While she may not possess magical powers, she does possess willpower and a passion for helping others - and so far those qualities are helping her and other neighbors achieve great things at time when it's needed the most. To provide a moral and economic boost to businesses, healthcare workers and first responders in McHenry County, McElroy along with several members of her community launched an online fundraiser called Project Front Line McHenry County Covid-19 Support on March 22. As of Friday, the GoFundMe account has generated more than $33,000.

"It’s a wonderful grassroots effort, and it’s really starting to take a new level of momentum. We’re definitely finding that so many people are commenting or donating saying, ‘I’ve been wanting to do something,'" she said.

With the funds raised, McElroy and her team of volunteers have been able to provide meals to more than 1,450 front-line workers. Most recently, they've provided 70 meals from Georgio's Pizza to Northwestern Medicine Huntley Immediate Care as well as delivered 160 treats from Sweet Pea Cakes, Ethereal Confections and Pops Corn Shack to the McHenry County Sheriff's Office.

"When they (restaurants) get the call that we would like to do an order of a hundred for the front lines, first of all, they are excited to be able to support people on the front lines, and there’s been gratitude. When we are paying for the delivery, we’ve been able to give someone work hours to do that," she said.

According to McElroy, she's been overwhelmed and grateful for the community support. Without it, she said, her efforts to help local businesses stay afloat and keep front-line workers fueled would be impossible.

"I just think it’s a testament to the human kindness and positivity. Anytime you can add that positive energy to the world, it makes a difference," she said.

As long as the donations continue to pour in, McElroy along with volunteers Rod Crandall of Algonquin, Anne Marie Brown of Woodstock, Alexandra Eesley of Crystal Lake and Devon Tessmer of Crystal Lake said they will continue to do their part to help their community during these difficult times.

"As long as they want to participate, we will support the front line and the local businesses," she said. “As one of the five people who co-created this, it’s such a sense of gratitude that we’re able to do this all together. It’s really been beautiful at a time that is devastating."

To donate to Project Front Line McHenry County Covid-19 Support, click here.