Racks of basketballs and a pump to inflate them sit idle.

In response to the governor’s State of Public Health Disaster Emergency this week and other recommendations to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus, sports there are off the table for now.

Volunteering to help the community, isn’t.

AFES Executive Director Charles Clayton said that he and a group of volunteers are taking on a project next week to shop for the elderly, shut-in or the medically vulnerable who might be in fear of going to the store.

“I worry that we have we have some elderly or home bound that are being forgotten,” Clayton said.

The idea came from the idea that “Somebody should be doing something.”

That somebody, is AFES.

“We’re going to start shopping for people,” he said. “If they can’t, won’t or are afraid we will send a volunteer to shop for them.”

The shopping excursions would take place on Tuesday and Thursday.

Clayton said they’ve taken steps to ensure that those they’re going shopping for feel safe. The person being shopped for would be sending cash or a check along to pay for their purchases.

“We want to guard against scammers,” he said. “We will let them know the name of the volunteer and have the volunteer call them when they’re on their way.”

Clayton said he’s heard reports of individuals taking advantage of elderly people afraid to go into a store during the crisis.

“We can do better than that,” he said. “During a crisis people’s true heart and true colors come out.”

Clayton said those who need to have shopping done for them can call AFES at (515) 955-2969 to get their name added to the list.

AFES is also helping out the community by serving as the pickup point for the Backpack Buddies program that sends home food and snacks for school students to consume over the weekend. The backpacks are normally distributed at school.

“We have a 4 to 6 p.m. window for people to get there to come get them,” he said. “It will be at the gym. It’s pickup and go. The kids need to be with a parent.”

For many of those students, the Backpack Buddies supplies are their weekend nutrition.

“People are in need now,” he said.

AFES is also keeping their day care open, for now.

“We’re doing our best to keep our day care open,” he said. “We’re doing everything we can do to keep it as normal as possible.”