BANGOR, Maine — A Bangor, Maine neighborhood is using its Facebook page to match people in need with people in a place to help them. What started with a post asking if anyone needed toilet paper, turned into so much more during this coronavirus, COVID-19 spread.
"We have a really close neighborhood here in Little City," Paula Matlins said.
Matlins runs the Little City Facebook page.
She said there's a thread on the page where anyone can comment with the hands up emoji, which means you're able to help out.
Anyone who needs help then direct messages the person who volunteered and when the volunteer feels like they're finished, they delete the comment.
Little City is a close neighborhood in the shadows of I-95, where all the kids play together, and everyone is friends.
Now due to COVID-19 concerns, things have changed.
"t's very odd I think for all of us being a very close community. All of our kids hang out at the parks together and run around on the streets with their bikes and their scooters," Jamie Beck said.
Little City community members are practicing social distancing and proper handwashing, but are still finding ways to help out their neighbors, including three people in their community who have recently started cancer treatments. Matlins said the neighborhood has been stepping up to pick up groceries for them.
Little City is also a very social neighborhood, so they are looking for ways to socialize while also social distancing.
"We decided to put shamrocks in all of our windows so that kiddos could wander the neighborhood and do a scavenger hunt for shamrocks," Beck said.
Three kids in the neighborhood are celebrating birthdays this week and couldn't have a birthday party like the normally would. So everyone in the neighborhood went outside at the same time and sang happy birthday.
While Little City residents have been doing good in the community, people who live there say the positivity is spreading throughout Bangor.
"I think that throughout the city people are trying to reach out and help," Beck said.
At NEWS CENTER Maine, we're focusing our news coverage on the facts and not the fear around the illness. To see our full coverage, visit our coronavirus section, here: coronavirus
NEWS CENTER Maine Coronavirus Coverage
RELATED: Psychiatrist offers insight, techniques on dealing with fear and anxiety around coronavirus
NEWS CENTER Maine YouTube Coronavirus Playlist