Items

2022-05-10

WC Oral History, 2022/05/11

A student describes their experience working during the Covid-19 outbreak.

2022-04-07

This is an Instagram post from therealfoodkitchn, which made efforts to deliver food to families and kids in need during the pandemic. Currently, this place is looking on how to better serve families now that things are opening up more.

11/15/2020

Retail Worker Oral History, 2020/11/15

C19OH

2021-12-13

meme

This meme shows how physically distant we stayed away from people during the beginning of the pandemic, and now the effects are seen now. Us humans are meant to interact with others always, and when we were stuck in our houses for months, it affected us a lot. We see high amounts now of depression, anxiety, suicides, etc. This is important to me because I believe that mental illnesses are just as serious of a problem that we should focus on.

2021-10-14

Smell of Covid in South Carolina

Until recently I worked for Campus Security at a small college in the upstate of South Carolina. Before Covid, my job mainly consisted of patrolling the campus on foot and by vehicle. I would let students into their dorm rooms when they were locked out, perform traffic duty, write parking tickets, and occasionally perform searches if we thought a student had a weapon or some other kind of contraband. When the virus began to make itself known on campus, our job descriptions changed. Oddly enough, we were expected to deliver meals, three times a day to students who either had the virus or were in quarantine due to exposure. At first, we only had a small handful of students to feed but by the Fall of 2020, we were delivering meals to nearly one hundred students. Keep in mind, there were at the most, only four officers delivering these meals at any given time and the student to be fed were spread all over campus. The one thing that really stands out in my mind during this time is the smell. I have never been a huge fan of breakfast but the smell of scrambled eggs that never seemed to go away, almost ruined the first meal of the day for me. No matter how quickly you delivered the meals, by the time you finished, the patrol vehicle smelled like scrambled eggs. If it was a warm day, which it usually was in South Carolina, the smell was particularly heavy. House Keeping had to sanitize the dorms daily. One particular dorm building had a smell of its own due to the fact that a large trash bag burst in the elevator and spilled its contents all over the ground floor lobby. Many of the quarantined students lived in this dorm and I can still remember the rancid smell when walking through the front door. No matter how much they cleaned, house keeping never could quite get the smell out. While working at the college, I was like most, worried that I would contract the virus. To help prevent this, I sanitized my hands on a regular basis. The smell of alcohol wipes and Lysol will always remind me of this time. I also wore a mask wherever I went and would sometimes spray different scents on the mask to make it smell nice. Smell, above all other senses, will remind me of Covid and my time as a Campus Safety Officer.

2020-05-30

The Dashathon

When the pandemic quarantine was initially imposed, I found myself with lots of free time on my hands. After weeks of low motivation and extreme boredom, I decided to sign up as a food delivery driver for Doordash, a job that was in high demand at the time. By this point in quarantine, all restaurants were closed for indoor dining, but many were still offering carryout and delivery services, largely through food delivery apps such as Doordash. Some of my friends and I started driving Doordash as frequently as 5-6 nights a week. We strategically prioritized the 4 to 8 PM time-slot in order to cover the majority of the dinner shift. Although it was quite mindless work, it was one of the few things that I had to look forward to as a daily break from the monotonous isolation of quarantine. Orders were frequent and because of the high demand for delivery drivers and very light traffic, tips were generous and reflective of the community’s appreciation for service provided by “frontline workers” like ourselves. After about a month of driving, my friends and I decided to put together a fundraiser called “Dashathon” to support some of our favorite local restaurants and small businesses that were struggling during the pandemic. Because many smaller restaurants did not have the financial resources to operate at a loss during periods of the pandemic, many were forced to shut their doors. Our idea was to reach out to all of our family and friends and designate one night where all of our income and tips from Doordash would be donated to these struggling restaurants and other local charities in need. With lots of outreach, we secured underwriting from 10 different sponsors as well as a dollar-for-dollar match pledge from Doordash itself. Our Dashathon was even highlighted in a television news segment broadcast on the local Denver NBC-affiliate newscast (linked above). We were successful in recruiting over 40 drivers to participate in our event. Through a competition-style format that rewarded the highest earners with gift cards from our sponsors, we were able to raise $15,000 dollars in just four hours. The proceeds were distributed in their entirety to designated local restaurants and charities.

2020-04-28

Don’t Be Afraid to Order Takeout or Delivery

A blog post from Banner Health about the safety of takeout and food delivery and Covid-19.

2021-08-07

Food Is Not Always Comforting

This is a story of my family's experience with food and the pandemic. For us, it was a reflection of another difficult time in our lives.

2021-06-23

Delivery

Waiting near my door, Becoming hangry, guess he Doesn’t want my tips! :0 -very angry and hungry customer

2021-04-03

Presley McBride Oral History, 2021/04/03

This is an interview with Presley McBride about how Corona Culture has affected her personal life and United States Society. Presley first describes any pandemic-related purchases or activities she has participated in and also highlights how her favorite Youtube personalities have incorporated COVID crafts into their shows. She also includes reflections on the impact of plexiglass shields and sanitization on human interaction and socialization. Presley also touches upon the political divide caused by a sense of shame that people in society feel when they are pressured to get vaccinated or wear a mask. Presley includes a description of how businesses have been using more packaging to protect their products since the start of the pandemic. Finally, Presley shares her insights on the negative effects of the stay-at-home mentality on U.S. mental health and culture. Contributed by Kayla Phillips, URE, for Arizona State University for the #CoronaCulture, #HST494, #ASU, #Texas #OralHistories collections.

02/20/2021

Toni Downs Oral History, 2021/02/20

Toni Downs is the Director of Surgical Services, the Cath Lab, and Endoscopy at Mercy Regional Hospital in Manhattan, Kansas. She is 64 and has been in nursing since she was 21 years old. She has worked there for over a decade now, and has seen many challenges while working there. This pandemic has been the worst she’s seen since being a nurse, but it is not without its blessings. The nursing profession has been strong and fierce in fighting this pandemic and as a director, Toni sees their dedication and strength. When asked what her silver lining is during this pandemic, she immediately goes to nursing. Toni touches on other front line workers that deserve recognition, but she thinks that the pandemic has caused people to pay more attention to the hard work nurses do for their community. She sees being a nurse as a caring and rewarding job, and is glad other people are starting to see it too.

2021-01-24

Home Food Delivery: What a Treat!

One of the most basic survival needs is food, so when the pandemic hit many individuals were struggling to meet this need with the changed food landscape. Restaurants were closing, grocery stores had restricted supplies, going grocery shopping could be dangerous in terms of exposure to the virus and exposure to people fighting over items, and many people weren’t in the habit of cooking at home every day. So this most basic of needs underwent significant shifts due to the pandemic. I dislike shopping, cooking, looking up a recipe, cleaning up the kitchen, and even eating. So I tend to eat out quite a bit. I pivoted during the pandemic to getting home food delivery and that change has been one of the few positive effects of the pandemic. It saves me time, reduces stress, and improves my health because of the healthy food choices.

2020-11-25

Loving Grandpa Brings Food

A grandpa drives 30 minutes to bring his granddaughter and her boyfriend some food and board games after finding out they were Covid positive. One commenter said, "Protect that man at all costs". Such a sweet and loving gesture.

2020-12-10

In a COVID-19 world, Amazon made our lives a little less miserable

Article about online retailers

2020-12-07

Canada Post warns of shipping delays this holiday season

Article about Canada Post delaying deliveries due to overwhelming amount of orders

2020-12-05

How the pandemic made Instacart “essential”

Article about the rise of instacart

2020-12-07

The impact COVID 19 has had on workers in the service industry

The Phenomenon our group is providing insight into is the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers in the service industry. We will discuss the number of jobs lost/created and look into the workers’ treatment in the service industry. We are focusing on the personal experiences of some of the members of our group and others who are working during COVID 19. Some of our group members work in the service industry and have to work during this difficult time. The essay will provide first-hand insight and shed light on the issues that essential works are currently facing.

2020-12-02

Ethiopian Cafe Roxbury

My dad had taken a long trip from his home to come visit me, the college student who lives in Boston. The tradition of eating at our favorite restaurant in town was soon to be. The 2019 red Toyota Tacoma was freshly cleaned and ready for another trip down to Roxbury, Massachusetts. I was picked up from my campus at Wentworth Institute of Technology on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. It was about 75 degrees with a slight breeze on this beautiful July day. As we started driving down towards Roxbury, we could see nobody was outside. Usually Boston is full of people exploring the city and enjoying the downtown on a Saturday. Even at the Ethiopian Café there was no one in sight. We could see a mailman walking door to door dropping off mail but that was about it. There was hardly any traffic and no noise as most businesses were shut down. The birds chirping and the wind blowing was the only noise around. This looked like a ghost town. Inside the restaurant there was no one inside. There was a sign at the door that stated, “mask required to get inside”. The only business they were accepting was pickup or delivery. This was the “new normal” now for everybody. What was once an upbeat and social place to dine, is now a quiet empty restaurant running off a few customers at a time. I could not sit down with my dad and eat the food we had ordered. They would not allow anyone to dine inside or outside. Everyone had to just get their food and eat it somewhere else.

2020-09-16

Jewish Melbourne: Chabad on Carlisle Rosh Hashanah deliveries to seniors

During Rosh Hashanah Victoria remained in lockdown, and so Chabad on Carlisle - Russian Jewish Centre organised for volunteers to deliver "Challahs, meals, candles and honey cake to seniors in honour of Rosh Hashana".

2020-07-07

Roy Choi’s Locol is Reborn, Thanks to New Black-Owned Delivery Start Up

Chef Roy Choi has set up a food delivery system that has helped to put money in the city of Watts. It has helped create jobs and opportunities for residents of the community.

2020-04-16

“Is It Ethically Okay to Get Food Delivered Right Now?”

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, people began to grapple with moral dilemmas about the new, deadly situation that they found themselves in. These ethical dilemmas, which are the focus of a brief Atlantic Monthly article by Joe Pinsker, concerned the basic, but important issue of procuring food and drinks, which now ran the risk of infecting and possibly killing innocent essential workers and delivery drivers. To help soothe the troubled consciences of the general public, Pinsker consulted a variety of medical professionals, food scientists, ethicists, and moral philosophers to come up with answers to the ethical questions raised by these new circumstances. These questions included, but were not limited to: “How often should I go to the grocery store?”; “Is it ethical to get delivery?”; “How hard is it to figure out which businesses take good care of their workers?”; and “Is there anything I can do to help the people working at grocery stores, restaurants, and delivery companies?” In his answers to these questions, Pinsker implored readers to listen to the sound medical advice given by local health officials to reduce the risk of transmission and death, as this would protect both service workers and the readers. He also informed readers that it was better to reduce shopping trips to a once a week affair, as the more shopping trips one takes increases the risk of infection and transmission to innocent people. Furthermore, Pinsker advised those concerned about a restaurant or corporation’s treatment of their workers to research online if they provide workers with paid sick leave, and to tip workers a significant amount of money if they do not. Finally, Pinsker told readers that ordering delivery was not inherently unethical, as the money spent on delivery was money that would go into the pockets of workers, who especially need any help they can get during the current pandemic-induced economic recession. In brief, the questions presented and Pinsker’s responses provide an illuminating snapshot of how people grappled with the new moral dilemmas created by the COVID-19 pandemic. They display considerable consideration for the vulnerability of service workers, who are more exposed to COVID-19 than those working from their homes.

2020-06-01

The Decision and the Opportunity

Months had gone by during the Covid 19 pandemic and for college students like myself, it began to take a toll on me mentally. It wasn't easy to say the least to stay at home and start remote learning. It was even harder being a journalism major and having to cover what was routine press conferences about death and despair ravaging New York City. But as the semester came to an end , frustration began to mount for me as there seemed to be no end to this nightmare. I grew tired of being at home day after day with no option but to stay inside. I saw many of my peers take advantage of the time being in lockdown to make some extra money. That was motivation enough to get against my parents wishes in hopes to get ahead when all this was over. The job was simple -- make grocery deliveries to apartments in the lower east side. The streets were completely empty , something out of a horror film where you’re the last person on earth. The only problem was , my mom was an essential worker and she saw first hand what covid did to people and their loved ones around them. Also my brother being a diabetic meant he was more susceptible to covid which I was putting all that risk knowing I would be out there in the city and unknowingly bringing back covid into my house. It finally came time to tell my family the plan I had and they were not happy to say the least. My mom was furious of the thought that I would go ahead and get a job during a pandemic -- And although he didn't show it , I knew my brother shared the same feelings. But I didn’t let it stop me and the next day , I went to work. On my way there , It was rough seeing the city in the shape that it was. People wearing masks with depression and stress written all over their faces , taking extra precautions every 5 minutes dousing their hands in hand sanitizer . It made me realize that although I would want to be in the best shape possible financially , I realized that my health is way more important and that I let greed control my way of thinking. I had made it to the supermarket and as I approached my supervisor , I told him that I could not put my family at risk for this and that I’m not going to be working. He understood my decision and felt that if I could not do it , then there would be no problem. As I got home , I apologized to my family for potentially putting their health at risk. This pandemic has taught me patience to say the least , there are more important things at the moment than money and sometimes things must take a backseat in order to fully flourish in the future.

2020-05-27

A Fun Way To Drop Off Groceries

This young man dances with his grandma when he drops off her groceries. Social distancing has made it hard to spend time with our older loved ones and this is a great example of how we can still have fun with them even while socially distant.

2020-04-10

Food Delivery

Going out to eat out in restaurants has become so difficult due to the virus that to keep us safe restaurants have contactless delivery.

2020-08-04

Online Shopping

During this pandemic I have been quite bored while being stuck in the house... this means that I have been spending too much time on my phone and computer online shopping.

2020-07-01

Quarantine

I submitted a pile of packages in my room as my photo because with nothing to do and preparing for college, I found myself ordering a lot more items and clothing online than I ever had before in my life. Mostly all of the online stores were also having huge sales, which did not help my shopping addiction especially while I was bored with no where to go and nothing to do.

A restaurant sign reading "Delivery Available $25 minimum".

April 16, 2020

Evansville Rafferty's

These photographs were taken to document some of what people in Evansville and its Tri-State region saw and experienced as the realities of the Covid-19 pandemic came to the area in the spring of 2020. Many of these images represent literal signs of the time, while others figuratively depict signs of the pandemic.

2020-06-18

New York Town Honors Their UPS Driver

During the corona time, workers such as this UPS driver kept on delivering despite any personal danger to him from a high chance of of exposure. These workers, along with custodians, grocery store workers, and of course health care professionals, were rightly hailed as heroes. This is a touching tribute and acknowledgement of the town's UPS driver.

2020-03-27

Luna Loca Offers Take-Out During California's Shelter-In-Place Orders

Following Contra Costa County's shelter-in-place orders, local restaurants began offering take-out and delivery options to keep their businesses alive. Many believed this would be the solution to a short term problem only to quickly realize this would be the new reality for months. Danville residents were quick to support local businesses by purchasing gift cards and ordering take-out and delivery. This screenshot shows a photograph of the Mexican food restaurant, Luna Loca. Luna Loca has been in business in Danville, California for 40 years. It is difficult to see a local institution that is typically bustling with customers so quiet. Hopefully their efforts, combined with community support, will allow them to weather the storm of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020-04-28

Local Coffee Shop Extends Delivery Service

Instagram page @lifeincolumbus shares photograph of masked coffee delivery from local shop Jennings Java Coffee Roasters

2020-04-10

Grocery shopping in Covid-19

When Covid-19 came, I can only deliver food to my door. I no longer shop in any real shops for 2 months.

2020-05-01

How we get food everyday

This is how we get food everyday. They left at our door, and we went down. We never met each other.

2020-03-23

Restaurants can now sell beer, wine and cocktails to-go during shelter-in-place, but will that help keep them around?

Amidst California's shelter-in-place orders, San Francisco Bay Area restaurants struggled to stay in business. One week into the shelter-in-place, the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) relaxed regulations and announced that restaurants and bars, with adequate licensing, could sell alcohol through delivery and take-out measures in an attempt to prevent permanent restaurant and bar closures. The guidelines stated that alcohol must either come prepackaged (i.e. in a can or bottle) or must accompany food if the drink is prepared on site. Patrons were directed to transport the alcohol in their trunks and were to consume on private property. For some restaurants and bars, the new regulations led to a recovery of approximately 50% of typical alcohol sales. For others, the regulations have provided little relief. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the San Francisco Bay Area restaurant and bar industry has yet to be fully realized.

04/28/2020

A Picture of New York City in Crisis

A link to an article from Photography Collections Preservation Project about New York City essential delivery person, artist and poet Kurt Boone. As Boone travels through New York City making his deliveries, he photographs the city during the pandemic. The first paragraphs of the article relate the project: "A bustling city once teeming with urbanites on crowded sidewalks and in jam-packed subway cars comes to a grinding halt. Save an eerie silence made more deafening by the occasional ambulance siren, the events of the city beyond our apartment walls are largely left to the imagination. For most, this has been the picture of New York City ever since Governor Andrew Cuomo’s shelter-in-place order effectively shut it down in late March and indefinitely altered daily life for millions. A smaller population of New Yorkers, however, have been uniquely privy to public life in the age of the coronavirus pandemic. This is the case for the many essential employees currently working in New York City including messenger and street photographer Kurt Boone. Every morning at 7:30 A.M., Kurt Boone–a veteran New York City courier of over 20 years–prepares for a full day of making essential deliveries around the five boroughs. After checking the news for the latest coronavirus updates before leaving his New Jersey apartment, Boone arrives at the World Trade Center in Manhattan only to greet a different city each day. In the U.S. epicenter of the COVID-19 crisis, around 1,000 new coronavirus patients are admitted to hospitals daily. More and more quintessential New York establishments shutter their doors, and the gripping effects of this crisis are increasingly felt by all. Worse, there is no clear end in sight. For Boone, these scenes of strife and desolation are “surreal and depressing.” As a longtime documentarian of urban culture, Boone feels a responsibility to show the world how this pandemic is unfolding in New York City. "

2020-05-15

Milkmen making comeback as coronavirus pandemic prompts more families to stay home, order groceries

[Curatorial Note]: Link to FoxNews article about the return of the Milkman due to people ordering grocery delivery as more families stay at home during COVID19 pandemic. Discusses the modern update to the Milkman industry in relation to Wade's Dairy in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

2020-03-20

Princeton Joint Unified School District Packet Distribution Schedule

Poster released by Princeton Joint Unified School District informing students and parents of the distance learning packet distribution schedule during campus closures. With some students living over 25 miles away from campus, and many lacking stable internet connectivity, physical work packets were delivered via school vehicles to three neighboring towns to relieve travel burdens and encourage learning. #ASU #HST580

Image of a local restaurant chalkboard sign with a stack of toilet paper in front of it which reads free roll of toilet paper with brunch.

03/18/2020

Order take out food, get free toilet paper

As it became increasingly clear the coronavirus was going to effect the United States people began stockpiling food and other supplies, especially toilet paper. It quickly resulted in no store, online or brick and mortar, had toilet paper in stock. As restaurants tried to quickly shift to pick up and deliver as their only options for remaining open many got inventive with how to attract customers. This restaurant, on the square in Georgetown, Texas, like many others, offered customers a free roll of toilet paper with their take out order.

2020-04-03

Quiet Lunch Hour

The Hurricane Sports Bar and Grill on 13th Street in Wichita, Kansas, sits empty during what would normally be a busy lunch hour. The banner on the far right indicates the restaurant's open carry-out and delivery services. #NortheasternJOTPY *Northeastern University

2020-04

"Uh... very little. It has done nothing but support..."

"Uh... very little. It has done nothing but support previously held faiths and encouraged me in personal growth." "Uh... the community is still gathering but not physcially. Uh... we moved everything online that is possible. As for participation within it, um the um everyone in charge has gone out of their way..."

2020-05-08

Phoenix Indian Center Collects Donations to Help the Navajo Nation

With the Navajo Nation in crisis, much needed supplies--from diapers to bottled water--are collected by urban Indian center and delivered to the reservation.

2020-05-10

Ordering tacos during COVID19 pandemic.

Typically I visit this taco shop with my friends after skateboarding at a nearby skate park. Now, after skateboarding by myself, I stop by Taco Nazo, alone, to find a very organized system of delivering food to customers. The bustling atmosphere of the restaurant has been replaced by gentle reminders to wear a mask (even though I am in my car—I’m fine with this!) and orderly direction where to park to await my order. While the aromas, textures, and flavors of food are still comforting, the companionship, laughter, stories, and closeness to friends makes once banal gatherings seem distant, even impossible. New rituals of eating have emerged. What was once a ritual of culinary communion is now one of reflection and solitude.

2020-03-12

Help Is A Phone Call Away: Sherwood Valley Band of Pomo Provide Shelter In Place Services

Indian Health Services offers prescription delivery and other services to elders and tribal members with special needs.

View out glass front door with a five dollar bill taped on the outside.

05/07/20

New Way to Tip

We often don't think about all the little things that we do when coming in contact with people, like tipping a delivery driver face to face. With this pandemic you can't have that interaction any longer due to social distancing. A one time simple interaction you wouldn't otherwise think about has been changed.

2020-05-03

The disappearance of my last pizza slice

I ordered a pizza lastnight from an Italian restaurant, I specifically told no one to take my last slice because I wanted to eat it for breakfast the next morning. I come to see at 9:13 am that it is gone.... I interrogated every member of my family and no one will admit to this Janus crime.

2020-04-30

9 Roses Cafe in the French Quarter is Closed Until Further Notice, Take-Out Available at Gretna Location, New Orleans, LA

9 Roses Cafe in the French Quarter closes due to the pandemic, but the restaurant's Gretna location remains open for take-out.

A social media post from Dooky Chase's Restaurant.

2020-04-13

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