Items

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  2022-09-22

  Anthony

  Explains about the warzone in the emergency department doing good during those times to bring people together in the community and a hero being honored by the state of colorado for all his work .This was submit to the house of representatives and this story has been shared in schools such as fredrick highschool by students who look up to him thank you
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  2021-11-30

  Project Hospitality on the Frontlines of Covid

  This video was put together by our development department. It showcases the work Project Hospitality has done during the pandemic.
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  2020-08-07

  HIST30060: Food Relief Centre Queue

  This is a photograph taken of a queue to enter a food relief centre in South Melbourne in August 2020. The queue was several hundred metres long. As lockdowns began to ravage Melbourne, most businesses were forced to close, resulting in many people losing their jobs. Where this food relief centre had services around 100 people at the start of 2020, this number swelled to over 2000 by the height of the pandemic. Among the most vulnerable demographics affected by the pandemic restrictions were international casual workers and students. Where citizens were eligible to apply for various emergency relief payments, such as Job Keeper or Job Seeker, migrants did not have access to these resources. This food bank only required a form of identification to register the recipients. Several pandemic related restrictions are shown in this picture. The recipients are socially distanced, standing on makeshift markings spaced 1.5 metres apart by government restriction. They wear masks; a government requirement both indoors and outdoors at the height of the pandemic in Victoria. The food bank volunteers wear neon orange high-visibility vests and hold QR codes for the recipients to register on their own devices. I have volunteered at the food relief centre since 2020, performing the same role as the volunteers in the photograph. Where mainstream historical narratives and media may focus on how the lockdowns affected citizens, it is important to remember how migrants too were affected by the pandemic and had little to know support from the Australian government.
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  2022-06-22

  Hand sanitizer and hair net station at Feed My Starving Children

  This was one thing I saw at Feed My Starving Children while volunteering there. By rules on food handling from the FDA, everyone is supposed to wear hair nets while working with the food. However, the hand sanitizer was new to me. The check-in wasn't through a computer like it was before, when I volunteered years prior to COVID. People had to go up and say the group they were with, and the check-in was next to the hand sanitizer and hair net station. Due to the facility handling food, hand washing stations were also in the building, but many of these precautions aren't COVID related so much as abiding by FDA guidelines.
• 
  2022-06-22

  Face mask sign at Feed My Starving Children in Arizona

  This was a sign I saw on June 22, 2022 while volunteering at Feed My Starving Children. Upon entering, I was worried that I would need a mask in order to participate. It turns out, masks were not mandatory. Some people that did come at the session I did were wearing masks, but a good majority of people were not. One of the coordinators said that now they are able to host up to 125 people at a time for a session. At the very beginning when things were just opening up again, that number was at 10. The coordinator said that if things go to plan, FMSC should be able to host 145 people at a time, increasing the amount of pallets that can be shipped across the world to help children in need
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  2022-05-21

  I wear a mask in public for three reasons

  This is an Instagram post by spacegrd. This is an infographic on why someone would choose to wear a mask. The three reasons are: humility, kindness, and community.
• 
  2022-04-11

  Fundraising for Ukraine

  This is an Instagram post by maniteeshirts. This post is about people fundraising for Ukraine since they have been hit hard by the Russian invasion. Noticeably, all of the people posted in this picture are all wearing masks. This picture helps show that where some places might not require masks, some people are still wearing them. Due to not being given a location, I am not sure on the status on masks where this was posted. Since everyone is wearing them though, I am at least guessing it is a store that requires masks to enter.
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  2022-04-05

  Jerry Gryglak 'humbled' to receive Governor's Citizenship Medal for daily Reddit COVID updates

  This is a news story from The Denver Gazette by Lindsey Toomer. Since June 2020, Jerry Gryglak has posted COVID updates on the subreddit r/CoronavirusColorado, and breaking down the information to be more user-friendly. This has helped Redditors get better information on the virus. Due to his diligence, Governor Jared Polis is recognizing Gryglak as one of Colorado's COVID Heroes and will get the Governor's Citizenship Medal. Gryglak left posts on Reddit with updates on deaths, hospitalizations, vaccines, and other such information. Gryglak is unsure how much longer he will be posting these updates.
• 
  05/12/2021

  Katherine Running Oral History, 2021/04/22

  Katherine Running was raised in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. She currently resides in Fargo, North Dakota. She is currently occupied as a graduate student and a lab researcher at the USDA in Fargo. In this interview, Ms. Running talks about how the covid-19 pandemic has affected her professional and personal life. She also discusses how people have stopped trusting science and facts.
• 
  04/21/2021

  Pa Cha Vang Oral History, 2021/04/21

  Pa Cha Vang is a student at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She graduated high school during the pandemic. In this interview, Pa Cha discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected her, including moving from Winona, Minnesota to Minneapolis during the pandemic, finishing high school and starting college, and what she does on a daily basis. She describes how she stays in touch with her friends and family. She also describes her experience with the vaccine and volunteering at a vaccine clinic. Pa Cha also shares her concerns about the pandemic and mental health, and she touches on her personal experience with racism during this period.
• 
  10/19/2020

  Rosie Bryant Oral History, 2020/10/19

• 
  12/16/2020

  The Bulgarian Oral History, 2020/12/16

  In this interview the interviewee wished to be anonymous. In the interview we will be interviews a gentleman from Bulgaria in Eastern Europe. He works in a for a tech company and had to move into the city to find the job away from his small hometown. He tells us what it like in the city and why he would rather be in his hometown. As well he talks how COVID-19 has affected his job and family life and life around the city. In addition, he gives on interesting perspective on how the Bulgarian government is handling the pandemic. As well as what many people in Bulgaria think of the virus such as conspiracy theories and protests not things he personally believes but what citizens around him think at times.
• 
  2021-10-27

  Economic Student Support

  The Student Emergency Fund at St. Mary's was part of an economic relief through the CARES act; where students got financial support via the university. I personally used this fund to help pay for school and basic necessities, like food and bills. It was a relief that students, like myself, were able to obtain this financial support throughout the pandemic and it's still available for all students.
• 
  2021-08-14

  "Ways to Connect Despite Social Distance: Empower Ecuador"

  When being part of the program Empower: Ecuador at my school, we were preparing ourselves to travel to Guayaquil, Ecuador to be present with the families in the community. The families in the community were called our neighbors. Prior to traveling and meeting families in person, each person from the class was given a bookmark with a picture of a neighbor and a brief description of who they were. We were supposed to pray for the person selected and have him/her in our hearts until we meet them in person. Due to COVID-19, we were never able to meet these people whom we felt very close to and it was very sad. Therefore, we were tasked with the beautiful idea of writing letters to them about our prayers and best wishes for them in times of trouble. After a couple of months, I received a message through Messenger, and to my surprise, it was the person I wrote the letter to. She was thanking me for the letter and for how happy she felt when she received it. Also, she shared the desire to get to know me more through social media. It was a beautiful moment and proof of how we could connect with each other despite the social distance. To express this story I am sharing a screenshot of a conversation through Facebook (messenger) with a neighbor from Guayaquil, Ecuador. She is telling me that she received the letter I sent and how grateful she is for it.
• 
  2020-03-15

  Empower: Ecuador - Canceled (Personal Experience)

  I was part of the group of student that was preparing themselves emotionally, spiritually, and physically to go to Ecuador and be present with a community in Guayaquil. During this class and for the entire semester we were in retreats together, reading, journaling, and sharing our hearts with each other. We built a community and were deeply connected with the mission of the program and the desire to go to Ecuador and meet the neighbors. However, exactly a couple of days before traveling the lockdown happened, and the plans were canceled. We did not know that the world was going to change so suddenly and immediately. I clearly remember the meeting we had to announce that the trip was canceled and how most of us were filled with sadness and crying. Afterward, we kept being in connection to Ecuador with our prayers and writings. We even wrote some letters to our neighbors in Ecuador. So, this story is to reflects how we can be in connection and engagement with others even during times of depression and distance and how in specific this program had to adapt through COVID-19. To express the story I chose the screenshot of an Instagram post from the Community Engagement Office at St. Mary's University.
• 
  2021-10-04

  Plague and Faith

  I began the Plague Year in the heartland of the United States: Rogers, Arkansas. I was towards the end of my two year term of service for my church, which was my full time job from 2018-2020. After spending nearly two years focusing wholeheartedly on Christian and spiritual concepts such as redemption, outreach, transcendence, faith, repentance, covenants, and endurance, my mindset going into the pandemic was admittedly a spiritual one. More specifically, I saw the pandemic as a growing opportunity for the whole world. The key, I thought, was that the coronavirus doesn't discriminate: It can infect you regardless of your race, socioeconomic status, social class, sexual preferences, or gender identity. It is a threat to everyone. Although we later learned that the disease, in fact, does affect people disproportionately, this one tenet of my philosophy- that it poses a threat to everyone- still stands. With this in mind, coupled with my heavily Christian, and moreover religious perspective, I viewed the advent of the coronavirus as a lesson that humanity had the opportunity to learn from. Whether they would take that opportunity, I couldn't say at the beginning, as I had recently seen examples that bolstered my faith in humanity, and also ones that degraded it. This was particularly interesting to consider immediately after exiting the 2010s, a period that many Americans and people of the world view as a tumultuous one. What I can say, however, is that I was optimistic. Even if a divisive political climate, humanitarian crises across the world, the longest war in American history, and a widespread mental health crisis couldn't jumpstart people's empathy for one another, hopefully a worldwide pandemic could. Looking back after 18 months of plague, I would say that I have observed mixed results. In very visible ways, the world, and particularly the United States, has become considerably more divisive. I look at the rise of conspiracy groups, the charged conversations I've observed related to masks or vaccines, the storming of the capitol, or the events that led to the Capitol Hill Autonomous Zone, and I think that the pandemic has only served to stress people beyond their breaking point. I am disappointed. Now that I am much more involved at a secular institution, in a state university, and much less involved in my church, I often fall into skeptical and even cynical thoughts lamenting humanity's inability to learn a lesson. I revile at the unchecked pride that rules the lives of so many. I look around and see many who would rather be "right" than be objectively correct. These people are my friends, family members, former mentors, and authority figures. Like the Coronavirus, these shortcomings of character have the ability to affect anybody. I would like to say that I have seen the same results on the other side, that I have seen enough examples of individual acts of courtesy and kindness to offset the vitriol, but I don't know that I can. I also don't know if I can't in good conscience make that observation, the proverbial jury is still out on that one. That will take more time to see. True change is something that stands the test of time, which we haven't had the luxury of observing yet. While the hate, cynicism and conflict that I have previously mentioned are very visible, and immediately announce themselves, change in the perspectives and hearts of people is more of a slow and gradual process, especially considering that the pandemic is not over. I hope to observe in later years that this pandemic defined our generation in a positive way, the same way that our progenitors gained appreciation and humility and grit from the great depression. I know that I, for one, have made efforts to do the same. I suppose that this all comes back to faith- faith that I have that this will one day be worth it. Although my life is a lot more secular these days, I retain the same faithful perspective that I gained volunteering with my religious organization for 2 years, the one that I had at the beginning of the Plague. It has not broken me, and deep down, I don’t truly believe that it’s broken the collective “us”, either.
• 
  2021-02-25

  Volunteering at the University of Arizona Vaccine POD

  The University of Arizona ran a drive-thru and walk-up vaccine POD for six months in 2021. During that time they provided more than 240,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine to the Southern Arizona community. I volunteered at the POD for 10 shifts between February 2021 and May 2021, helping with traffic control to get as many cars safely through the stations, with observation to ensure everyone was okay after receiving their vaccine, and with registration to help get information all ready for the nurses giving the vaccine. It was great to be a part of the solution and helping people protect themselves and other community members. One woman, while waiting to get her shot, told me how excited she was to be able to hug her grandchildren again. She started crying because she was so relieved to see her family and feel safe doing it. It was a great atmosphere at the University of Arizona and everyone was working together for each other. Something I will never forget and that I'm proud to have been a part of. The photo is from my first shift in the observation area on the Mall, waiting for the POD to open and line cars up for observation post-vaccine.
• 
  2021-09-10

  Australian Census Materials

  The Australian Census was conducted when many people and cities were in Lockdown. This changed the nature of Census work. No longer door knocking, workers were required to drop of census materials and reminders in keeping with 2021 contactless procedures. I wasn't allowed to doorknock but had to use intercoms for large apartment buildings. We were given masks and bright yellow satchels to carry materials.
• 
  2021-09-22

  Thomas Ligh and Sierra Butler Oral History, 2021/09/22

  Interview between two first year college students who have felt the effects of COVID-19 in their every day lives, with a focus on how it has affected their learning experiences in school.
• 
  2020-05

  Remembering NYC 2020

  These photographs taken from April-June 2020 capture New Yorkers interacting with the empty stress of the city during COVID-19. The first image displays an off duty fireman walking down vacant 5th Avenue, apparently in tribute. His body position highlights the stress, grief, determination, and exhaustion experienced by so many New York frontline workers. The next image was taken of the once bustling streets of SOHO. In this photograph, an older man appears exhilarated during a moment out of quarantine. Getting some fresh air, he turned up his car radio and bellowed out the lyrics of “New York, New York”, the anthem for New Yorkers. The third image captures young cyclists riding, practicing tricks, and laughing. The final snap is of two jazz musicians near the entrance to Central Park, a spot they often inhabited pre-pandemic. They played exactly as they once did, only masked this time. As a twenty year old who would normally be thrilled to spend the summer at home, surrounded by the lively energy of NYC, I was determined to find a way to interact with my city in a creative and safe way. After completing many projects from home (such as making filter masks for medical staff and collecting supplies for donation), I decided to use my knowledge of and passion for photography to capture fellow New Yorkers doing their part to help lower the spread of COVID and to find moments of camaraderie to fuel their, and others’, fight against this virus. In turn, the act of getting in my car and driving throughout the city, equipped with my Canon Rebel 55mm was my way of finding a measure of peace, purpose, joy, and meaning during the six long months in quarantine in New York City.
• 
  2021-06-16

  Golden Gate Area Council Updated COVID-19 Policy

  This is a document made by Golden Gate Area Council in response to California's reopening on June 15, 2021. It discusses vaccination and testing status requirements for campers, masking requirements indoors, tenting, and dining service, all of which are mentioned in the Leader's Guide. The end of the document implores leaders to make sure their Scouts clean themselves at camp, and concerns about mental health that arise from Scouts not staying long periods of time away from home for over a year. Neither hygiene nor mental health is mentioned in the Leader's Guide, but both are mentioned here. The document softens some of the COVID restrictions that were planned for camp. The update states that dining halls will be open for normal dine-in meals, overriding the Leader's Guide which stated that some meals may be take-out. Additionally, the update specifies that masks are not required to be worn outdoors. The Leader's Guide said "while at camp each and every camper must wear a face covering over their mouth and nose", not addressing a difference between indoors and outdoors.
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  2021-05-14

  Golden Gate Area Council Summer Camp 2021 Camp Wolfeboro Parents’ Guide

  This is a guide for parents made by Golden Gate Area Council to inform parents about Camp Wolfeboro. The guide discusses the variety of changes made to camp for 2021 as a result of the pandemic, among other aspects of camp.
• 
  2021-03-02

  A Religious Sister’s Service with the Medical Reserve Corps

  This article celebrates the dedication of a friend and mentor, Sister Jean Flannelly, SC, who, at age 80, volunteered to serve with the Dutchess County New York Medical Reserve Corps to help people affected by the pandemic. Despite age and some health problems, she felt called to use her many talents as a psychologist, teacher, counselor and religious sister to do contact tracing, case investigation and serve in various roles at COVID-19 vaccination sites. She is an inspiration to me and to many!
• 
  2021-05-22

  Meet Grover, a golden retriever bringing calm to Alaskans anxious about their COVID-19 vaccination

  Grover and his owner, Karen Loeffler, are with the group NATIONAL Crisis Response Canines, which has teams that respond to crises and anywhere that people have stress and anxiety. Loeffler, the former United States attorney for the District of Alaska, regularly brings Grover to court to calm people when they are testifying in a trial or grand jury. The Anchorage OEM connected Alicia with Loeffler’s group, and Lillian sat with Grover on the floor of the Alaska Airlines Center for an hour, petting him, brushing his fur and giving him treats until she was calm enough to get the shot. A majority of children exhibit needle fear, along with up to 20-30% of young adults, according to a pre-pandemic meta-analysis. The 2018 study noted that 1 in 6 health care workers avoided the influenza vaccine because of a fear of needles, and the authors encouraged further study of approaches that could alleviate fear during injections.
• 
  2021-08-13

  Our Post-Pandemic Healthcare World

  Our Post-Pandemic Healthcare World I definitely view our future post-pandemic world through the lens of someone who has worked many decades in health care. Though the pandemic has been a time of incredible stress for healthcare workers, for me I guess it is possible to identify two positives. The first is the extent to which staff who work in healthcare settings have so obviously provided exemplary care even when faced with PPE shortages, heartbreaking patient losses, and sporadic public resistance to masks and vaccines. As a RN in an administrative position at a Federally Qualified Health Center, I don’t work on the front lines myself, but I’m close enough to feel that I’m a part of the collective healthcare effort. Our clinic is affiliated with UCLA and we had - for example – a Dental Hygiene staff member deployed to assist in the MICU at Ronald Reagan UCLA. Right in the middle of COVID and she did so willingly. I work with inspiring people in an invigorating and purposeful setting. What a gift. The second positive is more clinical and pragmatic – the COVID pandemic has likely led to lasting infection control practice changes that were sorely needed. When I first started nursing school in the late 70’s, we would do all types of patient care without gloves and routinely had extensive exposure to blood and body fluids. The AIDS crisis resulted in permanent and necessary infection control changes. I’ve always felt that ambulatory care settings lacked adequate precautions when it came to diseases with the potential for respiratory transmission. Well, everyone understands screening and masking now. This is a positive that will result in a safer environment for patients and staff going forward. So, amazed at the extent to which healthcare workers have delivered every step of the way during the pandemic. Proud to be a Nurse. Happy that we all have a better understanding of respiratory precautions. These are my positive takeaways from COVID thus far.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Banner Health offers ways to help health care workers

  A press release announcing how the community can help healthcare workers and that the Banner Health Foundation is accepting donations to two charitable funds.
• 
  2020-03-24

  Banner, Vitalant partner to encourage blood donations

  A press release announcing that Banner Health is partnering with the region's blood bank operator in an effort to restore blood donations, which have significantly dropped during the outbreak of COVID-19 cases.
• 
  2020-03-27

  Six heroes bring meals to Banner Olive Branch seniors during volunteer shortage

  Facing a massive shortage of volunteers who normally serve 400 meals a day at Banner Olive Branch Senior Center, six volunteer heroes are stepping up to do the same work typically done by 200 volunteers.
• 
  2021-07-22T21:31

  24 Campsite Fire Pit

  This is a photo of a campfire at 24 campsite, at the eastern boundary of Camp Wolfeboro and on the Calaveras County side of the river. The photo was taken at a campfire held between Troop 21 and Troop 834. Troop 21 was staying at 24 campsite the week the photo was taken. The fire bowl is KUMA brand, presumably the same 19-inch fire bowl found at the Main Campfire and at Waterfront. The fire is propane fueled, like all other campfires held during the 2021 camp season at camp. The photo was taken on July 22 at 9:31 PM.
• 
  2021-01-19

  Essential Business Continuity Stipend – November 3, 2020 Election

  This is a letter I got in the mail from the Contra Costa County Clerk-Recorder-Registrar, that was sent to anyone in the county who worked at the polls on "the four days prior to or on Election Day". The letter accompanied a $100 stipend that the county was able to provide to election workers for the November general election because they received a grant from The Center for Tech and Civic Life. The following is an excerpt from the letter that mentions the challenges COVID provided to election working: "I want to personally thank you for being a key part of our Election team and for helping to keep voting safe, secure, and convenient under the uncertain conditions of a global pandemic. Your service as an Election Worker ensured that every voter who showed up to the polls was helped with ease and accuracy and that our ballots were processed securely and accurately. The November 3, 2020 election included many new challenges and obstacles that we had never faced. We overcame them together and had a very successful Presidential Election. You did a great ["great" is bolded and underlined] job – from learning our new electronic poll books, to taking the necessary precautions with Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and social distancing."
• 
  2021-07-21

  Coronavirus and Latino Health Equity

  With the rise of COVID-19, the team at Salud America! is digitally curating content about what the coronavirus pandemic means for Latino health equity.
• 
  2021-07-02

  No kids in the hallways

  I work as a director of a Boys & Girls Club in Cleveland, Tennessee. For anyone unfamiliar with the Boys & Girls Club, we are a Department of Education-certified after-school and summer program. Our organization is comprised of fourteen Clubs across four counties and, prior to COVID-19, we served over 1,000 Club members every day. Immediately following the outbreak of COVID-19, the hallways of our Clubs were empty. In a matter of hours, an invaluable local resource became inaccessible to hundreds of families who depended on our support. This was an extremely difficult time. Fortunately, our organization has an exceptional leadership team. From the moment our doors closed in March 2020, our administration began working around the clock to adapt our program into one that was both virtual and accessible. Clubs began having daily ZOOM calls with their members, calling families to just check in, making silly YouTube videos and connecting with teen members on safe and secure social media platforms. Even further, our administration ensured that no one was laid off and employees still had plenty of work to do. With our hallways emptied, we were divided into small teams that could easily work in a socially-distanced manner and were assigned to a number of facility maintenance projects. We knew that one day our Club members would return, and when they did, we wanted their Clubs to be fresh, clean, and updated. I was assigned to the floors team. This team was charged with stripping and waxing all of the floors in each of the fourteen Clubs. For about eight weeks straight, I became overly familiar with the burning, sterile scent of Zep Heavy Duty Floor Products. Even with an industrial mask, the sharp and bitter aroma of the cleaner was pungent. Now, anytime the floors need to be done in my own building, I am taken back to those 14 weeks there were no kids in the hallways. Fortunately, we re-opened our doors to our Club members on June 1st, 2020 with strict health and safety protocols, and only at half capacity. We remained at half capacity until June 1st, 2021 when we were finally able to fully re-open our sites. Our numbers have still not returned to what they were, but we are slowly getting there. The important thing to us is that we are able to safely provide much-needed services to our community.
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  2020-05-22

  Pet Adoption Protocol During the Pandemic - A Purr-fect Fit Animal Rescue

  This is a social media post from A Purr-fect Fit Animal Rescue in Buffalo, New York explaining their covid procedure to potential adopters.
• 
  2020-10-24

  Believing In The Youth

  I participate in youth programs to get my voice heard.
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  2021-04-26

  P-EBT returns for Tempe Public Schools

  One unexpected surprise during the pandemic was that everyone enrolled at my daughter's school received the pandemic-electronic benefit transfer. Essentially, because kids were at home learning online, they did not receive breakfast or lunch at school. There were pickup options, but we didn't really use that service. So, instead, the state mailed us a card that can be used to buy groceries. It was really unexpected, and we just found out that we get another allowance this week. It's a really nice boost to the grocery budget and it recognizes the importance of nutritious, consistent meals for kids.
• 
  2021-04

  Covit-19 Volunteering

  I like to volunteer for good causes, and I though that volunteering for a Covet-19 and I thought that volunteer at one of the Vaccination Centers was one of them . . . until I read the fine print. Among the normal document you have to sign, the last one was title “Consent and Assignment to use Likeness and Information”. The first part is just fine, of course if pictures are taken during your duty, you allow them to use it for promotion etc etc, but the second part is about “Information” and the text says: “Such Information may include my name, age, gender, address, work history, work location, job description, job title and other identifying information, including health conditions, and my comments, statements or other communications endorsing or describing any of my personal experiences or Cigna's products, services, programs and other initiatives based on such personal experience”. So, in order to volunteer for a good cause, I have to agree to release my personal info about my personal life and health condition? I attached the all document, please read the full document before volunteering, you may volunteering too much.
• 
  2021-02-21

  Living through COVID-19 pandemic through the eyes of a young 75 year old

  Never thought I’d live through a quasi twilight experience in my life time. From being totally free to roam around to try my hand at different social, educational, and faith filled interactions to staying home, sheltering, social distancing, sanitizing, and using technology for daily living within one year was a marathon of changes. I’ve lived an exciting and challenging 75 years. There have been many twists and turns in my life which is what makes me think is the reason for my young can do spirit. The Covid 19 experience is yet another one of those twists that I never imagined. In a matter of weeks our country was practically shut down. The challenge of not being sure who to believe regarding the pandemic was disconcerting. I had just lost my husband and went from living in a beautiful neighborhood, El Dorado Hills, with lots of friends and a wonderful husband at my side who could always help me keep things in perspective. I sold my house and went to live with my daughter in Sacramento. My daughter, Monica, was so generous and tried to make me feel at home and never complained about my “intrusion”. Then when things were getting a tiny bit better for me, Covid rears its ugly head. The news media reported how the Covid pandemic started. But wait, then the news reported the way it started was not the way it was reported. No one knew the best way to protect anyone. It was new and devastating. People were getting the virus from mild to severe symptoms. Many people were in need of respirators and many died regardless. Conspiracy theories were popping up. With all of this confusion people were getting more and more angry. Watching, hearing, or reading about the events around our country were discouraging. Protests and riots were happening. My immediate neighborhood was never in danger of rioters but the down town area in Sacramento was affected. Were we ever going to heal as a nation? Would we be able to trust again? What could I do about anything? I kept my eyes and ears open to whatever I could do to improve our situation. I could no longer visit the elderly in the rest homes by bringing them spiritual comfort and friendship. The rest homes were one of the first hardest hit with Covid. I used to take Holy Communion once a week and would try to make conversation with the patients. It was good for them but it was also good for me to be in a position to bring a little joy into their boring lives. Service to others is a value I cherish. A friend of mine said she started to help making the mandated masks that we are to wear whenever we go outside. It was a great opportunity to help others, keep myself busy, and feel I was contributing to fellow man. The Sacramento Face Mask Project gave me the opportunity to serve again. A group of people donated the materials. Other groups cut the material to standard sizes, while another group delivered and picked up the finished masks. I was able to sew about 200 masks (see pictures). I never met with a person to show me how to sew the masks so I looked on line (something new to me) and figured out how to fold, sew, and press the masks. These masks were put into plastic bags, left outside my door, and picked up by another person. That person would also leave me another supply of materials to make more masks. The finished masks were given at no cost to organizations like the Veterans Administration and other institutions. Our project ended early January since masks are now available for purchase almost everywhere. Wearing face masks is essential but so is hand sanitizing, and social distancing. As a practicing Catholic I went to Mass every day. We social distanced, 6 feet apart, sanitized as we walked into the church building and signed in so that if there were someone infected we could be informed to quarantine ourselves or even get tested. The governor of California eventually closed all churches. We eventually opened for a small limited number of persons in the church building together with the protocol of social distancing, sanitation, mask wearing, and signing in. Opening up for indoor Mass or services again was prohibited. A federal mandate was given in January so places of worship are now able to resume as long as the protocols are followed and a certain percentage of the capacity is enforced. To live my faith and receiving Holy Communion on a daily basis is a privilege I hold dear. It does for my soul what food does for my body. Going to church is important to me but so is being part of a community. Zoom enters my world. I resolved to be “techy”, learn more about how to use technology. It was a steep learning curve but I approached it valiantly. My daughter, granddaughters, and other family members help me navigate the web. The trick for me was to “just do it”. I experiment and did not give up pushing buttons, or keys. Zoom is now a part of my life. I meet with friends and relatives about five times a week through Zoom, Duo, telephone conferencing, internet, email, messaging. I do most of my bill paying by phone or internet. I buy products and gifts through Amazon. Almost all business is conducted by phone or internet. If I don’t know how to do it I just “do it” by calling the company or by asking my daughter, son, or friends how to do it. They walk me through it and it gets done. It’s not always easy or smooth. Scheduling a Covid 19 Vaccination was a long process. After the first targeted group, first responders, was met the next tier was the 75+ yr olds. I’m obviously in that category. Kaiser Permanently got their share of vaccines but not enough. I called several times but they were no longer taking appointments until they got another batch of vaccines. “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” seemed to be the message. I tried two counties and other hospitals that were providing the vaccines. I couldn’t get an appointment for different reasons. Finally my doctor gave me the link to be able to sign up for an appointment. I am one of the people who welcomes the vaccine but there are those who are not comfortable with the vaccine and oppose it. Respecting differences is something I think we are learning to do or at least realizing that it must remain optional. Flexibility of mind is as important as elasticity is for the body if we want to stay young. Greatly limiting our family interaction is heartbreaking. Visiting, hugging, and just hanging out together whenever we want is almost impossible without great risks. Our holiday gatherings and birthday celebrations are kept very small or non existent. Not being able to see our elderly and/or sick family and friends is very sad for all of us. I’ve always been a part of my three eldest granddaughter’s lives. They range from 8-17. I have not been able to visit my fourth granddaughter who is now two years old. She doesn’t know me except through video and Duo phone calls. I am almost a stranger to my youngest granddaughter. I have the hope that after I get vaccinated and our situation improves I can fly safely to visit her in Idaho. We never stop growing. Things are not just black and white. Finding the truth or the best solution for a community takes flexibility. We hear each other. We work together. We take chances. We risk. We admit our failings but we don’t give up. It’s never too late to improve. This world wide pandemic experience has allowed many of us to discoverer our priorities. There are so many aspects in our lives that have been affected by the pandemic that it would take books to describe how deep and wide this affects us all. My immediate surroundings that I’ve described here in this little essay is not all that has affected me. I have friends in other countries that have even less ability to help themselves. I am connected to them. I grieve for them and for us, but I won’t give up.
• 
  2020-03

  Survivor Corps

  One of the more positive outcomes of COVID-19 has been the mobilization of people to support one another and help mitigate the spread of the virus. Survivor Corps, started by an early COVID-19 patient, is “a grassroots solution-based movement to mobilize the sharply increasing number of people affected by COVID-19 to come together, support and participate in the medical and scientific research community efforts and take a more active role in trying to mitigate this pandemic.” Organizations such as this demonstrate the best in people and our potential and desire to work toward the common goal of beating this virus.
• 
  2021-03-16

  Vaccines and Long Haulers

  When it comes to COVID-19, it seems there are more questions than answers. For some COVID-19 survivors, their COVID experience didn’t end after their infection ended. These people, referred to as “long haulers” have dealt with fatigue, brain fog, muscle aches, breathing difficulties, and insomnia. However, a surprising and potentially positive development has come out of the vaccine - long haulers symptoms are disappearing! Many patients struggling with long term COVID effects are reporting these effects disappearing after receiving their vaccination. Research, of course, needs to be conducted to pinpoint why, but this seems to be another light at the end of the tunnel for so many people who have struggling with long term COVID symptoms.
• 
  2020-09-09

  Taoist Priest Honours China's Coronavirus Dead With Memorial Tablets

  In China, there are only a small number of state-approved religions. Taoism, or Daoism, is one of the approved religions. As COVID-19 began in China, many were quickly infected and died as it was a new virus about which little was known. This article discusses how a Taoist priest in China honors those who died of COVID-19. Taoism, as a religion, has a unique history as originally the religion began as a philosophy. Thus, there are very unique ways of thinking in the heavily philosophical religion. Memorializing the dead is extremely important in Taoism, because as the article relays, true death within the system of Taoism only occurs when one is completely forgotten. In order to make sure people are remembered, the priests create memorial tablets for the dead.
• 
  2020

  The Sikh Coalition: COVID-19 Responses and Resources

  Sikhism is one of the most generous faiths in the world, working to help all who may be in need. This site is a great source to see how Sikhs are responding to the pandemic in the various countries where the religion is practiced. Furthermore, one is able to see how Sikhism has contributed to aiding those in need during this time.
• 
  2020-11-16

  Mask Up the Right Way, Protect Your Elders You Will

  This is a meme of Grogu (baby Yoda), created by Indigenous Rising Media, advising Indigenous communities to wear their masks properly in order to protect their elders.
• 
  2020-08-17

  Community Paramedics Help Protect Homeless Populations from Covid

  This article discusses the use of community paramedics in the Covid-19 prevention efforts for San Diego's homeless population. Community paramedics are specifically trained paramedics that shift their focus from the treatment/transport to the hospital model, to a home-care model where the patient receives treatment and stays at home. In this case, they are being used to staff clinics at homeless shelters to provide care and Covid testing to their homeless population. The article references a 2017 hepatitis A outbreak in their homeless population and how that event has influenced the efforts during Covid to prevent a major homeless population Covid-19 outbreak. The article also explains the complexities of running these clinics but that it is worthwhile to aid a community that is among the most vulnerable to Covid.
• 
  2020-04

  Faith-based Organizations Responding to COVID-19

  Coming from the USAID (United States Agency International Development), this article provides a breakdown of several different FBO’s (Faith Based Organization) and their response in providing aid during the pandemic. The article discusses various faith groups (Christian, Muslim, Jewish) and their individual responses. While a lot of aid and charity has been provided in the United States, many FBO’s are working to also provide aid to those overseas as well. Citizens of Pakistan, Ethiopia, Bangladesh, as well as Latin American countries are being helped during this time.
• 
  2021-03-23

  'The one way I can protect them': Parents enroll kids in early COVID-19 vaccine trials

  No existing COVID-19 vaccine is approved for anyone under the age of 16. The companies responsible for the vaccines are working on getting another vaccine approved for children and have begun trial phases. Some Arizona parents have enrolled their children in the trials, not only so their children can get vaccinate, but also as a way to help the community.
• 
  2021-03-23

  Vaccine eligiblity

  So apparently the State of Arizona is expanding access to the vaccine so that everyone 16+ is now eligible to receive it. I saw a news story about this, and they mentioned an interesting side effect of this otherwise positive news development. Thus far, the mass vaccination sites have had very little trouble finding volunteers to help run things, in large part because volunteers are usually offered the chance to receive the shot in exchange for their service. However, now that eligibility has opened up to all adults and some teenagers, there is less of a personal incentive to help out at the mass vaccination sites. This means that sites are now having more trouble finding volunteers. My first response to this is that they should come up with at least some money to pay people for their time, if for no other reason than to attract enough people to keep the sites running. Secondly, this has made me consider becoming a volunteer myself. I feel extremely fortunate to have gotten access to the vaccine so early in the process and want to make sure everyone else gets access to it as soon as possible. Of course, this is just talk at this point...we'll see if I actually put my words into action :)
• 
  2021-01-19

  How does the pandemic affect children?

  This link provided explains how the pandemic is affecting the development of children.
• 
  2021-03-09

  Oral History with a Rural Church Pastor

  Abstract: Josh Colson grew up in Southern Illinois. He attended Welch College, earning a BS in Christian Ministry and an MA in Theology. Additionally, he is currently a student at Vanderbilt Divinity School, pursuing an MTS. Mr. Colson is currently the pastor of Brandon’s Chapel Free Will Baptist Church in Bumpus Mills, TN. The church is part of a small rural community, being in one of the smallest counties in middle Tennessee. In addition, Mr. Colson is the Faith Representative for the community health board. In this interview, Mr. Colson recounts the effects COVID-19 has had on his duty as a member of the clergy, his congregation, and his community.
• 
  2021-02-02

  Coronaland

  With Carnival parades cancelled, somebody had the bright idea to start the Krewe of House Floats to (a) make up for it and (b) to offer work to unemployed float artisans. The results have gone beyond everyone's wildest imagination with 5,000+ people signing up in New Orleans, surrounding parishes, and around the world. This installation shows “Don't Panic -- Chewy's Guide to da COVID Galaxy” on Camp Street.
• 
  2021-03-01

  Former Sacramento Firefighter Accuses Department Of Hostile Work Environment

  From the article: Jaymes Butler is one of two African-American captains within the Sacramento Fire Department. He says he’s not surprised by Lewis’s allegations. “Do I believe it? Yes, I do believe it. Because this is what happens when you don’t recruit a diverse department,” Butler said. The Sacramento Fire Department is made up of roughly 700 personnel and nearly 70% of them are white men. “Once the experiences he shared became known to the administration they started an investigation with the city’s Equal Opportunity Employment officers. We strive to have a department the mirrors the community we serve. Knowing that we can do better,” department spokesperson Keith Wade said.