LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — It was a celebration, a reunion, and an expression of gratitude all rolled into one.
Honking their horns, driving by in cars adorned with signs that say, "We love you" and "we miss you," and handing out bags of treats, administrators from The Arc of Northeastern Pennsylvania, an organization that serves individuals with developmental and intellectual disabilities, were joined by friends and family in a parade of gratitude.
"We usually celebrate St. Patrick's Day together, Easter together, and that was all taken away from us, so we thought we'll bring it to them!" Mari Pizur said.
"For all of our staff that come in seven days a week, 24 hours a day, not only just to provide care for the folks that we serve, but to minimize the impact of this pandemic. So today, we say thank you," Maryclaire Kretsch said.
This was just one of the group homes across Lackawanna County visited by the caravan of cars filled with staff, administrators, family, and friends.
Staff members at this home in Scott Township say it was an important reminder to their residents that everything is OK.
"It's absolutely fantastic to see these guys, I mean our folks really sometimes don't understand everything that's going on, and it gives them such relief to see people's faces that they haven't seen in a couple months," Lisa Jezorwski said.
The residents also made signs for their visitors to welcome them to their home.
"The smiles and just the interaction is so nice. We miss it so much, waiting for this virus to end, and I know it's a long way off, but we need to see each other and let everybody know we're supporting them," Pizur said.
For now, all they can say is "until next time."