Community Care in Light of COVID-19

The spread of COVID-19 is traumatizing for everyone, including but not limited to:

--those with chronic illnesses who are vulnerable and immunocompromised

--those with infants and school-aged children

--those with families in hot spot countries and those traveling globally

--victims of racism and xenophobic attacks surrounding outbreak-related stereotyping

--people who are experiencing homelessness with compromised health due to stress, chronic sleep deprivation, and exposure

--those who work in highly trafficked areas such as airports, grocery stores, and restaurants without proper paid sick leave that cannot afford to not work

--all hospital workers who have a high likelihood of exposure to contagious, infectious disease for the sake of caring for public health

--all community members that are unable to escape from the constant stream of televised and online media surrounding the pandemic

Santa Clara County has issued a mandatory order to cancel all mass gatherings, defined as “any event or convening that brings together one thousand (1,000) or more people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, theater, or any other confined indoor or confined outdoor space,” for the rest of the month. In addition to a significant number of offices and universities closing, many grassroots organizing events have been cancelled.

The Center for Excellence in Nonprofits has compiled a useful list of resources:

http://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/ – The CDC website has up-to-date information on the disease and ways to mitigate risk of exposure. You can also visit your local county’s website for more targeted information about the virus.

http://www.apalanet.org/covid19 – Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA) reminds employers that they must include a protocol against racial discrimination in their responses to COVID-19.

http://www.siliconvalleycf.org/coronavirus-fund – SVCF is leading an effort with our other Bay Area philanthropic partners on a regional response to this public health crisis. Our COVID-19 Coronavirus Regional Response Fund provides the community an opportunity to help our region meet the developing challenges linked with COVID-19 Coronavirus.

Healing Justice released an informative podcast featuring medical information, invocations, grounding practices and dialogue from their March 7, 2020 webinar “COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Preparation for People Living with Chronic Illnesses in the United States.” You can listen to the podcast and review their resources at this link: https://www.healingjustice.org/podcast/corona.

Community care must be extended to those who are experiencing homelessness. Street Sheet, a publication of the Coalition on Homelessness San Francisco, laid out some recommendations to San Francisco city officials to support the unhoused and unsheltered individuals of their community: http://www.streetsheet.org/what-if-you-cant-stay-home/.

From all of us at the San José Peace and Justice Center, we encourage you to take care of your personal and public health during this time.