Helping each other weather Coronavirus

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Helping each other weather Coronavirus

Dear DigitalScrapbook.com community,

Marisa and I just wanted to reach out and say a few things regarding the Coronavirus situation, since these are trying times, and it seems there are few of us unaffected at this point--with things only likely to get more intense before getting better.

First, we want to ask how everyone is holding up, and invite you all to continue sharing your stories (as Gina already initiated in this forum post). There are lots of difficult situations in progress and to come, but at least we can come together here and help each other endure the social isolation that comes with the quarantines, social distancing, etc. We might be shut up in our houses, but we don’t have to be completely isolated!

Speaking for Marisa and myself, it has been hard seeing my parents quarantined in Amman Jordan (where they live and teach), since they are both in the “at risk” category due to age, and it’s disconcerting thinking that we wouldn’t be able to get to them in case of emergency. We also worry about my grandmother in Minnesota, who is in her 80s, and extremely extroverted--so besides being in the high risk category, the social isolation will likely be really hard on her. Having a brand new baby in the family has also made us a little nervous. All of that being said, we remain grateful for the fact that Marisa’s parents are close by, for the technology that allows us to stay in touch with loved ones around the world, and for the fact that infants don’t seem to be very vulnerable to this particular virus.

Marisa and I have been considering whether there is any way we can use DigitalScrapbook.com to be a positive force during this challenging time, and have determined that the biggest thing we can offer is what you all are already offering each other: a positive and safe place to share, connect, and support each other--in other words, a community. We can also offer a creative space and resources at a time when we particularly need positive forces like creativity in our lives. The timing of all of this is a little bit tricky, since Marisa and I are still trying to take some maternity/paternity leave after the recent arrival of our new baby, but we will try to check in as we are able, and we know that our community is in good hands because we know you are all a generous and caring group of people!

Going beyond this immediate community, we’ve decided that we also want to support the various on-the-ground efforts that are underway to alleviate some of the hardships brought on by this pandemic. We know the virus is going to affect some people more than others, including the elderly, low-income families, those with health complications, small-business owners, etc. As such, we've decided to donate all new subscription income for the month of March to charities that are working directly to help these higher-risk groups weather the COVID-19 storm. The charities we will be donating to are Meals on Wheels, which works to deliver meals to people who are unable to purchase or prepare their own (which will be an ever-increasing number during this pandemic), and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which has set up a fund to accelerate a COVID-19 cure and combat the virus worldwide. (We welcome suggestions of additional charities if there are any that you would like to share.)

So if you are looking for something to do during quarantine and are not currently a DigitalScrapbook.com subscriber, consider signing up for unlimited downloads knowing that 100% of your March subscription payment will be put to use to help others.

Let’s come together, support each other, and do what we can to help each other make it through this difficult time! Thank you all for being part of this wonderful and unique community! smiley

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UPDATE: We were just able to donate $1200 to Meals on Wheels and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation! Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible! smiley

We have also decided to continue on and donate any new subscription income from April as well. See Marisa's blog post here: https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/blog/coronavirus-donation-drive

Things like this are one of the reasons DigitalScrapbook.com has always been, and will always be one of my favourite places online since I found it, because the heart and care you and Marisa take for the community is really above and beyond.

It is so heartwarming to see all the communities coming together to help people, The world is crazy at times, but there are still a lot of wonderful people who care. Thank you for all you do. I work at a hospital, but they are closing, this is our last week of employment, and the community here is helping everyone so much. They are so worried because now we all will have to travel further away to get to another hospital, but they are working on the problem and will be building another hospital here, but that will take at least 18 months. So we are praying all goes well, also we now have over 500 people that will be without a job after this week. Some have found jobs but we have a lot who have not. But we have been through worse, and we will get through this also. Praying for all...

This is truely heartwarming! Amazing how you take care of others in these difficult times. One of the (many!) reasons I love DigitalScrapbook.com!

smiley Sending my hopes and prayers to everyone on the planet right now... those hardships are coming in so many different forms, this warms my heart to read this post.

Stay safe and well!

Really heartwarming! thank you so much for sharing your stories. I love DigitalScrapbook.com smiley
Stay safe and well wherever you are

The Kennedy assassination, 9-11, Katrina: these come to mind when I think of life-changing events that have occurred in my lifetime. What's different about the coronavirus pandemic is that, for the first time, the whole world is involved. We're all, to some degree or other, isolating ourselves to "flatten the curve", so it's nice to have on-line communities to interact with. I support your goal to donate your March membership fees. I've already paid my yearly dues, but I'd be happy to contribute to that effort. Is there a way to do that?

What a great post. RAKs snowball and I can only hope in this crazy world we find ourselves in we can just take a deep breath, stay calm and help each other. Stay safe and well everyone.

(I speak ony french, i use a translator)

This Corona virus is everywhere in the world, and in each country we do what we can to avoid spreading the virus to others, we must respect the safety instructions and in my country we must stay in the house, avoid go out, just go shopping to eat or go to the pharmacy.
It is indeed a very difficult situation to live with but you have to stay in the house, you must not be selfish but you have to think of others so as not to give the virus to everyone!
Courage to all smiley smiley

Thanks, Jordan, special wishes for your parents and grandmother. smiley

Stay safe, stay home, go home. Good read here.

All Australians overseas were asked to return home to Australia on commercial flights ASAP.

This post touches my heart so much. I not only work in healthcare but with the elderly, the most vulnerable in this crisis. Some of my patients are extroverts and crave socialization, they don't understand the strict social distancing policy.

I think the two organization you have chosen to support are perfect.

Thank you Jordan and Marisa. I have been more absent than not because of work and other obligations, but I still pop in on DigitalScrapbook.com and continue to be inspired by what everyone does here because I love it here and love what you do. Like DigitalScrapbook.com's public benefit corporation, I have gotten involved with another public benefit corporation that may be very helpful to those who have become isolated because of the COVID-19 virus. It's called DaysAtDunrovin.com, a small guest ranch here in southwest Montana that has developed a "cyber front porch" community with webcams and chat rooms. We are feeling the same growing pains as you, Jordan and Marisa--we both want to offer more, but we both need subscribers to do that. This ranch has four live cams around the ranch, 24/7 and offers 2 live broadcasts a week. It is very helpful to those who are homebound to connect with nature and connect with like-minded individuals, but DaysAtDunrovin.com also invites local experts-- authors, speakers, professors, exercise leaders-- to come in for interviews and activities. For example, my daughter, a professional dog trainer and master falconer, even came in and talked about falconry and flew one of her birds that they could follow along via the webcams. There have been book clubs and horse people, trail rides and osprey nest cams. We're even training our resident donkeys how to "count." We send a newsletter out every week with cool photos and usually a video from something captured on the webcam. We have ospreys that return every year (usually by the first part of April) and usually lay eggs--people love to watch them grow! That's how this whole webcam thing started is with an osprey cam in conjunction with the local university. Anyway, wanted to offer this up as a resource for those wanting to watch something other than coronavirus coverage 24/7. It is a monthly or annual fee to belong, but DaysAtDunrovin offers a free 14-day trial. Again, like Jordan and Marisa, we want to expand services, and 95% of my work for them has been pro-bono because I believe in the benefit it brings people who are homebound. If you have time, go there, poke around the website, and offer up some suggestions! DaysAtDunrovin.com. Thanks, and I hope we can all buckle down for the next few weeks and flatten that curve too. A great time to get some scrapbooking done that's been calling our name... smiley

my prayers are with you both and your family! my mom, 86, now lives with us and i'm so thankful now that we're going through this global crisis together in our home, rather than three days distance from MD to Louisiana, where she did live alone just 3 months ago! i would have worried more about her, had she not made the decision to move in with us and the house had not sold in 3 weeks this summer! please know i am thinking of you! love and blessings, alli smiley

Thanks for this and best wishes to everyone as we navigate these tricky times.

Stay home and stay safe. ❤️

The beautiful heart of you TWO is why I will always love PS! So very glad to hear both of your families are all well and safe.

Prayers, stay home stay safe

You are the most generous and considerate people I know. What a wonderful thing to do. I hope and wish your family stays safe. We are not yet in full lockdown, but I’m expecting the order any day now. The country has gone mad: one half is cleaning out the shops, especially the toilet paper, and the other half seems to think nothing is wrong and happily goes off to the beach by the hundreds. As for myself, I haven’t been out for a week since I have a cold - I don’t want to take any chances of infecting anyone even if it is just a normal cold. My mother in law has locked herself away, but my mother is working in healthcare so she is very much needed right now. I am scared for her, since she has had one medical condition after the other for the past four years, so she is not in the best shape of her life. Even though they are extremely careful at work, I still call her every other day to make sure she is still not coughing... Thankfully we have videocalling and skype nowadays, so it makes it a little more bearable.

Stay safe everyone!

Stay Safe and Thank you for this community. We're going to survive this. smiley

beautiful post. God bless us all.

We were just able to donate $1200 to Meals on Wheels and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation! Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible! smiley

We have also decided to continue on and donate any new subscription income from April as well. See Marisa's blog post here: https://www.digitalscrapbook.com/blog/coronavirus-donation-drive

That's a great idea, Julie! What if we started a video conference coffee in the mornings? smiley I wouldn't care if no one even said anything! We can virtually sit on each other's porches!

That's awesome, Jordan!