At a time when our region seems paralyzed by the coronavirus, the Saunders sisters in Ridley Park decided to heed a call to service, writes Vinny Vella for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

They joined the Delaware County Citizens Corps and spend their days distributing supplies, creating a safe haven for First Responders and coordinating county communications.

“There’s clearly a need, and I didn’t know exactly how to be useful during it, but I figured joining a group like this would be a good way,” Julia Saunders said. “People seem to have a sense of panic, but if you’re doing something proactive for the people around you, it helps.”

Julia and her sister, Amy, are working with other volunteers of the Corps out of an emergency response center at the empty Glen Mills School.

The center is part of Delaware County’s Department of Emergency Services.

The 10-year-old Citizens Corps has more than 500 members. Since the coronavirus quarantine, 80 more have joined up.

The pandemic is a new challenge. The Corps is usually dispatched to help after fires and floods chase people from their homes. They also conduct disaster training to be ready for the next event.

Read more about the Delaware County Citizens Corps here.

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