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How Mennonite community stays informed of COVID-19 updates

The Mennonite community needs to get information about the pandemic without a television, a computer, or even a smartphone.

UNION COUNTY, Pa. — In Buffalo Township, there's a large community where no one owns a television, or a computer and certainly not a smartphone.

But the Mennonite community of Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania still needs to get information about the pandemic that doesn't differentiate between religious beliefs.

The Reiff family has owned Reiff's Nursery and Greenhouse here near Mifflinburg since 1989.

Harvey Reiff, his wife, and seven children all pitch in to help.

They are still allowed to operate during the coronavirus pandemic because it is designated as a life-sustaining business, something Reiff is grateful to have.

"I haven't lost my job, so that's good, as far as the business, yes, a little discomfort wearing masks, and everything else is definitely, yeah," said Reiff.

The Reiff family is also Mennonite, members of a community that has a strong population in Union County.

Reiff says he's heard members of his community have gotten sick with the virus but has not heard of any deaths.

Reiff does say one of the biggest impacts this religious sect has seen due to the pandemic is not being able to congregate for Sunday services, something very important to them.

"They're now doing that on a telephone-type thing, where you call in and listen to," said Reiff. "We didn't do it the first couple of weeks, but we're seeing this is going to go on, so we're doing it that way."

"Weekends, we're used to gathering with like 150 to 200 youth," said Harvey's 17-year-old daughter, Janine. "So that's really hard with the restrictions, but I guess we can't complain."

But with religious rules barring Mennonites from owning modern equipment like televisions, how are the Reiff's getting daily updates from the government?

The family says while they don't have a television, a computer, or even a smartphone, they are able to get information about the pandemic through the local newspaper or word of mouth through the community.

"A lot of people get the newspaper," said Reiff. "I know that's slow, but you can still get it, a lot of people talking to people."

And as Reiff mentioned about getting worship services over the phone, that's over the house phone, something that Mennonites are allowed to have.

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