Local Church Offers COVID-19 Testing, Diaper Handouts

By WVUA 23 News Reporter Mattie Davis

Weeping Mary A.M.E Zion offered free COVID-19 testing along with a diaper handout.

Health care workers are getting vaccinated for COVID-19 across the nation, but it has not been made available to the majority of the country.

Sunday, Weeping Mary A.M.E Zion church organized an opportunity to provide free COVID-19 testing to the local community.

“Since the cases have been spiraling in this area, we feel that it’s important for the people to know where they are so they can better handle their health,” Pastor Clemmie Lashaun Hilton said.

The testing was available drive-thru or walk-up. The church is partnered with the American Medical Screening Company who has been working with organizations across the state to provide the service.

“We will come there,” director of American Screening Eric Boone said. “We will do it for no charge. We will do all the setup. As long as they can bring their residents, we’ll be there to provide testing and get those results.”

Along with the testing, they also hosted a diaper handout.

“I felt that it was also important to offer something that was very needed in a household,” Hilton said.

This was through a partnership with the Heavenly Hiney Diaper Bank.

“Nobody thinks about diapers, and a lot of parents have a diaper need,” founder of Heavenly Hiney Lavantra Caldwell said. “There are so many kids that wear the same diaper all day long because they don’t have diapers. So, Heavenly Hiney Diaper Bank was established to help families in need.”

The whole operation was fueled by the help of volunteers. Members of the community believe it is opportunities such as this that will get us through the pandemic.

“I think going forward until we see the numbers really go down and people are more healthy, this is going to have an impact,” volunteer Patrick Freeman said.