A support group for men in the La Ronge area can't meet anymore — per public health orders — but they're still doing what they can to support the communities they call home.

The Men of the North group met for the first time in late February. They hosted a few meetings, prior to COVID-19 being declared a pandemic and before the province cracked down on the size of gatherings.

Now, a few participants are doing what they can to ensure residents of La Ronge, Air Ronge, and Lac La Ronge Indian Band are getting the support they need while self-isolating.

"There's a lot of tension, a lot of anxiety here today," Men of the North founder Chris Merasty said.

"I had a couple of phone calls just yesterday, people saying that they're worried about leaving their homes because they got little kids at home and they're so grateful that we're doing this and can help them."

People in the group are working from home, collecting names and contact information of others who require help in the community and distributing that to other members of the group.

People from the group are making no-contact deliveries of the goods — which are being disinfected as they're delivered — while others have volunteered to hunt or fish for the community in the event food becomes hard to come by.

Others still are volunteering themselves to act as security in the tri-community area, patrolling between 11 P.M. and 2 A.M.

"They're looking for any suspicious activity… making sure people's houses or people's vehicles windows aren't getting smashed in, stuff getting stolen," Merasty said.

He said it's been a learning curve for everybody and there's been a few hiccups along the way, but with some experience under their belt, he expects things will go smoother.

Merasty said anyone who is looking for help in any way should contact the town or reach out to the Men of the North's Facebook page.

"We're in this pandemic together and together, we can get through anything," Merasty said.