Staying In, Doing Good

On the first business day/school day of our community quarantine I have some information about what people are doing around town to make things better. There’s probably more initiatives out there that I don’t know about yet, so, feel free to share them with me and I will boost their signal.

First on the list is making a donation to support the Howard County Food Bank. As more and more families are impacted by workplace closures, the need for food will be increasing. Click here to donate.

A specific need is highlighted in this campaign by the Women’s Giving Circle of Howard County: they are raising $5,000.00 to meet the food needs of families enrolled in our local Head Start programs. They have raised about $4,100.00 so far. Your donation could put them over the top. Click here to donate.

A Spanish teacher at Wilde Lake High School, Erika Strauss Chavarria, has started a Facebook Group called Columbia Community Care. She explains:

In light of our community centers and libraries being shut down, many of our kids are in need of activities to sustain their mental, physical, and emotional well-being during this time. Many families are now desperately searching for childcare and are facing loss of income during this time. This group has been set up because so many of you amazing people have shown interest in wanting to help those in our community who are facing hardship. Let’s come together to uplift and support our community. Please check back frequently for details and updates. 

If you are interested in the work they are doing, you can click here to learn more: Columbia Community Care.

A bright light in community spirit as we face at least two weeks off from school is the newly launched Oakland Mills Online, which describes itself as, “bringing our cOMmunity together for online learning: workshops, speakers, and Book Clubs for all ages. They kick off their programming today with programs at 8, 9, 11, and 5. From the site:

We live in a wonderful community full of interesting people who like to help each other. Oakland Mills Online will make the most of our great people resources to keep learning happening and our sense of community growing during this time of social distancing.

Please note: Oakland Mills Online is an area-specific initiative. If you like the look of what they are doing, perhaps you and your neighbors can get a similar program going in your neck of the woods.

This just in: Creativity Challenge from HCPSS art teacher Avery Kristin McClelland:

PLEASE SHARE!!! Teacher and parent friends, I’ve spent almost all weekend creating a website of creative activities for elementary students to do during their hiatus from school. Most of them involve basic household materials. This is a work in progress so please excuse errors or unfinished sections - I am working as fast as possible. I will add more activities each week we are off and possibly create a fb group to share art kids create. You can cancel school but you can’t cancel creativity.

So, that’s what I know so far. By far the most valuable thing you can do is stay at home, stay away from people as much as possible if you must leave the house, and wash your hands. Really. At this point it is a hero’s mission unto itself.