"A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.”
Franklin Roosevelt
It’s been just over one month since we heard news of the first positive tests for COVID-19 in New Mexico. I am pleased to report that our diligence and perseverance have allowed Kitchen Angels to continue delivery to our clients without interruption. Thanks to each of you for your spirit and adaptability in the face of so much that is unknown.
As the quote above points out, we learn by being challenged. And challenging times often bring out the best in people. Kitchen Angels is fortunate to be surrounded by many different angels.
As is frequently the case, a casual conversation about our need for face masks quickly lead to the organizing of a group of volunteers and their friends who are now making cloth masks for all of Kitchen Angels staff and volunteers. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to the generosity of our newly formed Sewing Brigade. The masks are a wonderful gift and an effective tool in our arsenal of food safety practices. Thank you to the many sewing enthusiasts who have stepped up to supply our volunteers—and to those of you continuing to gift us with your extraordinary talents. We are comforted knowing that our friends are working away at home to help keep us safe.
Beyond our circle of volunteers, businesses in the community are stepping up to offer critical help. Everyone knows how difficult it became to find hand sanitizer. We couldn’t find any through our normal supply chain. Our long-time friends at
AromaLand
and
Tumbleroot Brewery
, however, began manufacturing sanitizers and both are supplying Kitchen Angels with excellent products. We began distributing the bottles to our Friday drivers and will continue to do so every day in the coming week.
Other supporters in our neighborhood, Just The Best Produce and Above Sea Level (both commercial food suppliers to Kitchen Angels), teamed up to create a home-delivered grocery service late last week. Named
Just For You by JTB
, the service is available in Santa Fe and Eldorado. There is a $40 minimum order and a $10 delivery fee. Check them out.
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Imagine there's an alligator between you and your closest co-worker.
That should keep you separated!
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely hard on non-profits’ financial lifeline . . . donations. Kitchen Angels, like other local agencies, has had to cancel all of our spring fund raising events, and at a time when unanticipated expenses have skyrocketed. Once again, however, the community of angels has sprung into action. Our friends at Hutton Broadcasting have started a month-long fundraising campaign in support of Kitchen Angels, The Food Depot and Meals for First Responders. Called
Band Together Santa Fe
, the effort teams up businesses and entertainers to generate support for our local response. Last week,
Joe’s Dining
gave 10% of Wednesday’s curbside sales to Kitchen Angels. Thank you, Roland Richter, for finding a new way to support Kitchen Angels in lieu of Angels Dine Out and for also supporting our local farmers as a farm-to-table restaurant. You can learn more about what’s happening each day through Band Together Santa Fe at
SantaFe.com
.
The City/County Food Security Coalition will be presenting its plans for immediate, intermediate and long-term food security programs this week. Coalition members include city and county policy makers and programs as well as local food security agencies. We are fortunate to have Robert Egger, who serves on the board of World Community Kitchen, living in the area. Robert works with Chef Jose Andres to respond to food emergencies all over the world and has been hired by the city as Food Security Advisor. Over the last two weeks, frontline agencies, businesses, schools and government representatives have been planning a comprehensive response to the growing food needs in Santa Fe. Representatives are securing funding for the effort and intend to roll out the first programs very shortly. Follow our progress on Facebook by following
Santa Fe Food Security
.
Finally, I want to thank Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham. Her experience with seniors and public health has translated into solid, thoughtful and informed actions that have resulted in the continuation of vital services for those who need us most. Meal preparation and delivery to vulnerable populations was identified as an “essential service” in the March 23 Public Health Order. This wasn’t the case everywhere. I was on a national call last week with other meal delivery agencies. In some of the cities most affected by the pandemic, agencies were required to prove their “essential service” status with reams of paperwork, then repeat the process for the volunteers required to run the programs. The processes were complicated and took time and attention away from the important work of feeding vulnerable people. I am grateful the Governor recognizes the importance of continuing basic services in order to keep people safely at home and out of harm’s way.
Ours is an amazing community that has come together in extraordinary ways. I can't thank you enough.
In gratitude,
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Thank you for your vigilance. We want you to stay safe, healthy and informed.
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Remember to email your completed
volunteer assessment
before each volunteer shift
you work. We are also recommending you take your temperature twice each day as an additional self-monitoring tool. Here are some additional guidelines regarding when to return to work following an illness:
- For individuals who are waiting on the results of a COVID-19 test because of symptoms or risk-factors, stay home until any fever has resolved without the use of fever-reducing medications, and respiratory symptoms such as cough and shortness of breath have resolved, and you have received at least two consecutive negative test results through an FDA Emergency Use Authorized molecular assay for COVID-19, taken at least 24 hours apart;
- For individuals who have not been tested because they don’t meet any of the risk-factors, stay home until at least three days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath); and at least seven days have passed since symptoms first appeared.
And for anyone who is caring for someone who is ill, stay home to avoid the risk of infection to that person as well as to others.
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