CLARK COUNTY EHC NEWS
NOVEMBER 2020
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PHASE II CONTINUES

    As COVID cases in Arkansas have risen and the peak not expected for a while yet, Extension will remain in Phase II until at least January 15th. This means that we are still allowed face-to-face meetings of 10 or less with mask wearing and 6' social distancing along with pre/post meeting sanitizing without pre-approval. All face-to-face meetings require a sign-in sheet collecting name and phone number for potential contact tracing purposes. I know each club traditionally host an EHC Club Christmas party and this is still possible by submitting a request for approval. If your club would like to have a gathering of more than 10 people, this is the information I will need to request approval:
  1. Location of party (chosen location must be able to accommodate the number of people requested with the 6 foot social distancing. I measured the kitchen and according to the calculators, it will hold approximately 35 people)
  2. Date and time of event
  3. Maximum number of people you expect to attend
  4. Commitment to wear mask during the event
  5. Commitment to social distance during the event
  6. Commitment to sanitize the meeting area before and after the event
  7. Commitment to collect a sign-in sheet with names and phone numbers of participants and provide copy to the Extension Office
  8. Commitment to have hand sanitizer and disposable mask on-hand for participants
   Please make decisions about whether you want to request approval soon as these decisions are made at the District and Administrative level. I estimate we need at least 2 weeks lead time for processing. (Red Springs- your request has been submitted)
UAMS BLANKET DRIVE
UAMS has reached out and asked for help from our EHC clubs. We will be doing our blanket drive for UAMS again this year.

Feel free to contact JoAnn Vann with any questions. 

Note: Deadline to have blankets to UAMS is December 11. 



"Due to COVID, we are extremely limited on what we can do. Unless we can find a safe alternative, we may only be giving blankets for Christmas. This will mean our need for blankets at Christmas is more important now than ever! NOTE: We need them by the deadline in the slides attached so we allow ample time for quarantine." - Jennifer Huie



FYI - Blanket size: throw blanket/lap blanket. 
UNTANGLE THE HOLIDAY BLUES

Perhaps you or someone you love is also struggling with sadness, even depression, this holiday season. While there is no specific textbook fix, the following steps may help alleviate some of the emotional pain.

  • Step 1: Be sure to set reasonable expectations for yourself.
  • Step 2: Take better care of yourself.
  • Step 3: You don’t have to fake joyful feelings. Be authentic inside. Find a way to remind yourself that just because it’s the holidays, it doesn’t mean that you must be “filled with joy and cheer”. Any emotions that you experience, including sadness and anger over loved ones who have passed on, or annoyance with family members who are critical or judgmental, are valid.
  • Step 4: Look for enjoyable activities that are low-stress, like driving around at night to view holiday decorations or attending local choral events.
  • Step 5: If you can’t be with your loved ones in person, find creative ways to be together. Try Facetime, zoom, or just a good old fashioned phone call.
  • Step 6: Try to surround yourself with those you care about, and if certain family members cause you emotional distress, limit the time you spend with them to a few hours, or at most a full day. There is no rule that says you need to spend several days visiting with toxic family members.
  • Step 7: If it suits your personality, perform random acts of kindness. Do something nice for someone else. Show more courtesy on the road to other harried motorists. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, donate to a toy box, or provide clothing to a homeless shelter. These types of activities may provide you a sense of meaning and purpose and mitigate some of those holiday blues.
HANDLING THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS
For great ideas to tame the leftovers, check out this Extension information!
For information on safe handling of Thanksgiving Turkey check out this site!

https://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/poultry-preparation/lets-talk-turkey/CT_Index