The one-year anniversary of the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada has come and gone, leaving many to reflect on the turbulence, horror and shock of all that has happened over the past 12 months. The pandemic has left no corner of daily life untouched, causing disruption and chaos for many, but perhaps one of the hardest hit segments of society has been those who reside in nursing and assisted living communities.
The men and women who call these types of facilities home have had their entire world turned upside down as companies attempted to thwart the spread of the virus within those communities, with outside visitors barred from the premises, the result of which has been an incredibly long stretch of isolation.
With a family member residing in one of these facilities, local resident Joe Burdzinski has taken to heart his own personal knowledge of the struggles faced by assisted living residents, as well as the community as a whole, and sought a way to bring the community together for a show of unity and fellowship in the face of the pandemic.
On Monday, March 22, Burdzinski and a host of local religious figures will make their way to one of the valley’s assisted living communities, Inspirations Senior Living, to help bring spiritual solace to the community and Burdzinski is putting out the call to the public to mark their calendars and plan to take part in the COVID-19 prayer service set to take place at 2 p.m. that afternoon.
“I was talking to Deacon Rick Minch of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church about my father-in-law, a resident at Inspirations who just recovered from COVID, and I felt that it would be a good idea to offer a prayer service for all the residents and staff there,” Burdzinski told the Pahrump Valley Times. “It has been a long and trying year for all of them. The residents and staff there have been on lockdown for the last year and I felt they need to know that they were not forgotten by the community. Rick felt it was a good idea to hold a service and then I got going on it.”
Burdzinski started off by contacting officials at Inspirations Senior Living and with their wholehearted approval of the idea, he immediately started recruiting local religious figures to take part. “I contacted Neal Owens from New Fellowship Church, Robert Stallworth and Rabbi Levi Wilhelm from Chavad Southwest of Las Vegas to help,” Burdzinski stated, adding that Nye County Sheriff Sharon Wehrly had also agreed to have her department assist with traffic control.
“Everyone is welcome. By attending, you are showing your support for the people at Inspirations and the Pahrump community. Pahrump is a kind and caring community, so let’s get together and support each other,” Burdzinski concluded.
The event will include a brief prayer service conducted by Owen, Minch and Stallworth. The event will take place outdoors, where social distancing can be easily managed. All those who attend are asked to observe said social distancing and wear a mask or face covering, as required by state mandates.
The COVID-19 prayer service will kick off at 2 p.m. on Monday, March 22 at Inspirations Senior Living, 931 Honeysuckle Street. For more information call 775-513-2042.
Contact reporter Robin Hebrock at rhebrock@pvtimes.com