Ways in which we stay connected with each other in our quarantine.
Teachers at Pearl Haskew did not let the Coronavirus stop them from seeing their students the other day. On my way home from the gas station, I was stopped by a caravan of teachers from Pearl Haskew. They had poster signs on the side of their cars that read “We Love You!” and teachers were in truck beds waving at their students. Led by the Mobile County Sheriffs, teachers took time out of their day to see students in different areas that are staying in their homes for safety from the Coronavirus. It was a joy to see and a creative way to stay connected in the disconnection.
We are in unprecedented times where businesses are being limited or forced to close, schools are shut down, and lives are pivoting to model a safe culture among the potential dangers of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). If you were to ask twenty people their opinion on the matter more than likely, you would get twenty different opinions. There are extremes on both ends of the spectrum, but there are central authorities that are issuing guidelines that we all have been affected by. The Mobile Health department has shutdown dining in restaurants and limited them to take-out and delivery. More and more people are finding it harder and harder to find essential items because some have hoarded those items when they become available for the public. Before long, there is a possibility that government officials order more restrictions, but in all the chaos, there is hope.
First and foremost, a lot of that hope has come from the churches in our community. Though churches, for the most part, have closed their doors for services, many have shifted to online or recorded broadcasts over the internet so that those not able to meet publicly, with social distancing adherences, can still hear their leadership share the gospel of Jesus Christ. This has been great, but many are still struggling to get their word out in a clear and syndicated way. If you know of a church that is having problems getting their live streams up and going, please contact us here at The Connection, and we can help.
Another avenue of connection in the disconnection has been created by the InfoMark team led by Jesse Stallone. We featured an article about their startup in the last issue of The Connection, and they have created an InfoMark just for kids. The way to access it is to go to InfoMark.com and use the mark KIDS. In that, there are virtual tour links for many of the museums around the world, live cameras for various Zoo’s around the nation, games for all ages, and much more. It is a great tool to keep children connected to all of what makes our world great while continually being conducive to their ever-growing minds.
Lastly, stay in touch with your grandparents and the elderly. Many are staying home and not traveling anywhere and have been that way for multiple weeks now. They are not taking any chances because of the health risks presented by the CDC. Because they are not out and about that means they are getting even less interaction with people. It would be great to give them a call a couple of times a week, or daily for that matter, to see how they are and catch up on the nightly COVID-19 rate of infections.
Whatever the case is during this time, please stay safe and remember that we will get through this.
