Dear Community and Faith-Based Leaders,
As your friend, teacher, and consultant, I wanted to encourage you to remain diligent and focused on the work you do in your communities. In these times unprecedented times, the public is looking toward your leadership and consistency in providing excellent service to those in need.
Providing excellent service may mean that you must be innovative and creative in coming up with different ways to deliver your services; while protecting the health of your staff, volunteers and clients.
The CDC has specifically designed information tailored to those who work in areas of faith and community. You may have already put these practices in place but I urge you to review them at Interim Guidance, Helpful Checklists and Cleaning Recommendations.
Here are just a few things myself and my clients have instituted:
1. Prayer – When things are out of control, God is in control. Weekly group prayer calls, through teleconferencing software, has been in place for many years. It’s a great way to communicate, encourage and pray with one another.
2. Ensuring the health of staff, volunteers and clients by doing extra cleaning and disinfecting of offices, meeting rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and commonly touched areas. Stress handwashing and provide sanitizing products for employees, volunteers, and clients.
3. Allowing workers to get paid while re-cooperating at home from illness.
4. Disinfecting shelters and teaching clients how to properly practice consistent habits of cleaning and disinfecting.
5. Establishing partnerships with the local health department to screen and educate your clients.
6. Be mindful of the mental health of those around you. Change your perspective. Respond based on knowledge and wisdom, not emotion. Do not talk about negative hypothtical scenarios. Acknowledge anxiety, fear and depression and get people to talk about it. Turn your anxiety and stress into compassion and action that helps others in need. Keep strong connections with friends, family and neighbors.
7. Have fun practicing all the new social distancing techniques and limiting physical touching.
8. Establish a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, stigmas, and xenophobia.
9. Find alternative solutions to your services in the event of an outbreak.
10. Consider conducting your business online. I use a free tool called Zoom.us. There is also Webex, Gotomeeting, Facebook-Live, Skype and many others.
10. Stay informed. The CDC provides Guidance for Faith-Based and Community Leaders. Please share.
While we are limiting our physical contact its a great time to look into my online nonprofit courses. As a university instructor and a consultant, I have been asked to develop online courses due to this outbreak. Learning never stops, but now we just have to do it a little differently now.
Tip: By learning, you will teach, and in teaching, you will learn – Latin Proverb
I trust you will have a blessed day,
Jenai