McHenry Times

At a crisis time like this, state Rep. Dan Ugaste (R-Geneva) thinks actions can oftentimes speak much louder than words.

“I think the message the people of the district are sending is that we care about each other,” Ugaste told the McHenry Times of the Neighbor to Neighbor program he recently launched in the 65th District to help those in need as the coronavirus crisis continues to stoke fear and chaos.

“To me, it says that we feel we’re all in this together and we’re ready to help each other through,” he said.

With that in mind, Ugaste said he followed the lead of Republican colleague Rep. Mark Batinick (R-Plainfield) in launching Neighbor to Neighbor.

As part of the program, volunteers run errands like grocery shopping and picking up prescriptions for those who have been advised not to leave their home as a way of mitigating the spread of the virus.

Ugaste said his office is coordinating the effort and he plans to keep the program running as long as he has enough volunteers and there is a need for such assistance.

“Certainly, I hope it’s behind us soon, but we plan to be around as long as we need to be,” he said.

With the virus showing few signs of slowing down anytime soon, Gov. J.B. Pritzker imposed a stay-at-home order late last month that effectively shuttered all businesses not deemed to be essential by the government.

As part of the order, the governor also advised all residents to only leave their homes when they absolutely had to, especially senior citizens who researchers have indicated are even more vulnerable to the virus than most.