Neighbors far and wide finding ways to work together
Following state of emergency declarations beginning at the federal level with President Donald Trump’s announcement last week, followed by Gov. Henry McMaster’s for South Carolina, and most recently, Mayor John Tecklenberg’s for the city of Charleston, area residents have been trying to find ways to deal with the “new normal.”
But despite the bad news that abounds, there have been some rays of light from people doing their best to help their neighbors.
While schools across the country have closed down for the next few weeks, many people have expressed concerns about the welfare of lower-income students who depend on supplemental meal programs and whose parents rely on the school programs for childcare while they work.
South Carolina schools are closed through the end of March, and that could be extended. In Berkeley County, the school district is offering pick-up lunches and snacks from 11 a.m. to noon at multiple locations, Monday through Friday while schools are closed. Locations can be found at bcsdschools.net. The closest location for our readers is Cainhoy Elementary/Middle School.
Taking it one step further is the Philip Simmons High School parents and teacher association, launching the Iron Horse Helping Hands Project on its Facebook page. The announcement stated, “With this project we will be putting together boxes of food for families of 5. We are looking for donations of these meals from area community members and businesses. We would love the boxes to come complete and ready to give. These boxes need to be filled with nonperishable items to help stock a family pantry. Feel free to add in something fun for the kids to eat or do.” The group is accepting donations at these locations:
● 1216 Hester Park Street, Daniel Island
● 1060 Rivershore Road, Beresford Creek Landing
● 2544 Gatewood Street, Daniel Island
● 104 Oolong Tea Court, Nelliefield
The Church of the Holy Cross on Daniel Island has created a Manna Box on its porch, to help families bridge food gaps. The free food sharing box invites people to help themselves to whatever they may need – no questions asked, and encourages everyone to donate what they can spare. Food must be nonperishable and no glass containers.
The church plans to continue offering this food-share system even after the COVID-19 emergency has passed.
Some local businesses are trying to find a way to assist parents who are struggling with having no help to care for their out-of-school children, while some national companies are giving parents a boost as well.
A number of Daniel Island and Clements Ferry fitness and wellness businesses have closed their doors, but are offering classes and workouts online.
Online learning service Studies Weekly (studiesweekly.com) is offering its curriculum platform free to all users, regardless if they are current customers or not.
In order to help low-income families access internet services for online studies and other needs, Comcast first offered its Internet Essentials customers two months free and increased the service speed. It followed up with ways to help everyone stay in touch, opening up its Xfinity WiFi network nationally for free, allowing customers unlimited data, and promising not to disconnect customers or charge late fees for people struggling to make payments, as long as they contact the company in advance.
Dominion Energy also is coming to the aid, announcing it will not disconnect services because of past-due payments and reconnecting residential customers whose services were turned off for non-payment.
RED CROSS
Along with concerns regarding medical supplies, equipment and personnel, the American Red Cross is facing a severe shortage due to an unprecedented number of blood drive cancellations on lifesaving blood. More than 80% of donations come from group events at workplaces, schools and other public gatherings.Thus far, nearly 2,700 blood drives across the U.S. have been canceled, with 49 cancellations in South Carolina, meaning 1,337 fewer donations.
Individuals can schedule an appointment to give blood by visiting RedCrossBlood.org or calling 1-800-RED-CROSS.
GOVERNMENT
The city and county of Charleston have canceled all public meetings through the end of March, though some meetings deemed “essential” will be rescheduled using available technology or appropriate social distancing practices. City departments are implementing work-from-home policies that allow city services to continue.
City police, fire and sanitation have implemented enhanced safety protocols and prepared plans in case they are forced to maintain operations with a reduced workforce.
Any performances or gallery showings held in city facilities have been closed through March 31, as well as many recreation department programs, including youth and adult sports programs. All city senior centers are closed.
On the island, the Daniel Island Property Owners’ Association has announced the closure of Pierce Park Pool until further notice. The Scott Park and Edgefield Park pools had not yet opened for the season and will remain closed for the time being. The POA also discourages residents from gathering in large groups “in any POA or city-maintained park, playground or common area on Daniel Island until further notice.”
It’s hard to overlook that 2020 is a major election year. While South Carolina’s Democratic presidential primary wasn’t impacted, other local races are going to face delays. The governor has postponed all elections scheduled for March and April, with the intent to move forward after May 1. However, candidates must still file before noon on March 30.
BUSINESS
While some businesses are closing their offices and allowing employees to work from home, many retail, service-based and restaurant businesses wrestle with the decision to remain open or not, ahead of any formal government declaration.
Local business advocacy organization Lowcountry Local First (lowcountrylocalfirst.org) is compiling a list of ways local businesses are dealing with the impacts of COVID-19 on its website.
“As locals, let’s do all we can to make sure that our friends and neighbors who own businesses are still here when the coronavirus is old news. This is what ‘resiliency,’ ‘livability,’ ‘quality of life’ and all the other buzzwords really sum up to, and that’s one word — community,” said Executive Director Jamee Haley, in a statement.
With guidance from the CDC, state, and local government officials that gatherings of more than 10 people should be avoided, many popular events have been canceled with varying amounts of impact.
Even though the next outing wasn’t slated until April 12, the Charleston Peninsula Preservation Trust has canceled the next monthly Second Sunday on King Street event and has put future events on hold.
“We’ll be back when it’s safe and enjoyable for everyone,” said Susan Lucas, managing partner.
Probably the biggest blow to Daniel Island is the cancellation of the Volvo Car Open. The event had been scheduled for April 4-12, and was to be the 20th anniversary celebration of the tournament calling Daniel Island home.
With global health concerns and travel restrictions, the Women’s Tennis Association has been forced to cancel several major tournaments.
“The team here at the Volvo Car Open, which includes staff, partners, sponsors and more than 300 volunteers, is absolutely devastated that we had to cancel the 2020 Volvo Car Open,” Bob Moran, president and tournament director, said in the press announcement last week. “We took time today to understand all of our options, one of which was playing without fans as we know the players who were still in the United States wanted to play. It was important for us to see if that was feasible as we recognize that playing tennis is their livelihood and we wanted to support them as much as possible. The health situation is simply moving too fast and affecting all events across the world. Ultimately we needed to make a decision that was in the best interest of all involved. Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this terrible virus and hoping for a quick recovery across the globe.”
Another popular event for area residents, the Cooper River Bridge Run, has been postponed until Aug. 1.
But other events are getting creative, like the 14th Annual Charleston Walk for Water on March 21, which is now going “virtual.” The annual event raises money for people around the world who lack access to safe water. Participants will walk individually in their own neighborhoods, take photos along the way and post to social media using #2020VirtualWalkCHS. For more information, go to charlestonwalk.org.
The fourth Intergenerational Forum, in partnership with both the College of Charleston and The Citadel, scheduled for April 2 has been postponed. The organizers and sponsors are looking to reschedule in the fall.
“During this time of nationwide concern over the coronavirus known as COVID-19, our main concern is to keep our panelist and attendees safe and to follow the recommendations by various authorities to avoid having large gatherings of people,” said Fred Danziger, IGF founder.
As fast as the COVID-19 situation is changing, the way local residents and businesses are adapting is moving just as fast. Be sure to share how you and your neighbors are handling those changes with The Daniel Island News.
The Daniel Island News will be keeping readers informed on a daily basis about the latest local impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic online at thedanielislandnews.com, so send your event/business news to sdetar@thedanielislandnews.com. As we move forward in planning our regular weekly news coverage for our print newspaper, we want to bring readers more features on the positive aspects of Daniel Island life. So, please be sure to share stories about community outreach and support with us at boots@thedanielisland news.com.
HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT CORONAVIRUS
By Gitte Holm-Moller
Children are increasingly worried about the new coronavirus. How can you as a parent address your child’s concerns appropriately and without inducing more fear? An old saying goes, “What children don’t know, won’t hurt them.” But as a psychologist, I must say that this is a truth with modifications: Most children will pick up on the topic (through public conversations, social media, etc.) and not addressing it with them can actually lead to them worrying more. So here are a few guidelines for how to approach the subject:
- Listen to your child’s concerns
Pay attention to what they have heard today in the news or in public conversations, and ask them how they feel about that. Take their feelings seriously and answer as honestly as you can, but remember to take their developmental stage into consideration.
- Talk about the facts
Be updated on the recommendations from health authorities and translate them into age-appropriate facts. Try to avoid the number of fatalities as children tend to get overly focused on this. Instead, try to focus on what we are currently doing to beat the virus: social distancing, closing schools, hygiene, etc. Knowing that they can help prevent this can make them feel empowered and in control.
- Tone down your own anxiety
When talking to your children, try to stay calm and reassuring. Be aware of your facial expressions and the words you choose, because children look to their parents for every cue on how to interpret ambiguous situations.
- Stick to routines
Disruptions in a child’s everyday life (like school closings) can lead to nervousness. Try to stick to your regular routines on bedtimes and mealtimes to maintain their belief that the world is still standing. As parents, it is crucial that we try our best to be the person our child can trust to tell the truth and be a stabilizing factor in a world that can seem upside down for a while.
Gitte Holm-Moller is a psychologist who specializes in anxiety treatment in children and adolescents. A mother of three, she is also a Daniel Island resident.