Hello:
How many of you are starting to enjoy the vegetable gardens that are now heading into overdrive? My husband is in charge of that at our house. When kale was abundant, I froze a lot and just pulled it out to use in a recipe this weekend. Tomatoes are starting to come in and, they too, found their way into a weekend recipe. When I serve something, I tend (always??) to recite where the ingredients came from because I really love using as much local stuff as possible. We are getting to that point here at MOWGLV. Our Food Services Director (Nick) told me that the Rodale Farm at St. Luke’s brought us a LOT of bok choy last week, which was convenient because stir fried veggies were on the menu. Similarly, Scholls’ Orchard had extra zucchini, so that went into zucchini slaw. The corn at Twin Maples is coming in so we will be looking for ways to use that. Yum!
If you are getting out of the area for a vacation. Please keep in mind the Governor’s order with regard to quarantining at home when you return from certain states. You can follow this link to see the states which states it covers: https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Travelers.aspx. We want you to keep in mind that monitoring your symptoms, knowing whether you’ve come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus, or has shown symptoms, is critical to your role as a volunteer. If you have been exposed, or think you are sick, please do not volunteer until you have quarantined and/or received a negative coronavirus test.
Everyone is on high alert regarding masks. There are so many memes, and so much negative messaging, directed toward the “anti-maskers.” I’m getting a little worn down by the negativity. However, that is NOT the atmosphere here at MOWGLV. You have all been wonderful about mask compliance and social distancing. Thank you for providing an emotional offset to the crankiness out there. Keep wearing those masks when you are within close proximity to other volunteers. We all appreciate it!
A new development at the Fritch Dr site: volunteers can enter the building to pick up their bags. Please keep lining up, as you have been doing. One of us will be at the door to let you in, one at a time, to get your bags. This is the process for Lehigh County pick-ups and it works beautifully. I’m sure it’s the combination of Dawn and the volunteers making it work so well. This will start on Thursday, July 23.
If you haven’t done so, please take a few minutes to respond to the survey link included with this mailing. Your responses will be so helpful to us. I promise that we will share the results, and the work of the Volunteer Services Committee, with you. There is nothing worse than answering a survey and then not seeing the compilation of answers.
My managers and I were finally able to schedule a meeting to debrief over our handling of COVID-19 “the lockdown phase.” We talked about whether we discovered a COVID “super power.” One of us (ahem) reconnected with our adrenaline in (mostly) productive ways, while others found resilience and determination in the mindset that this situation wasn’t going to break them. A few might now be called “Gumby” because their flexibility really came through. One response was “business as usual.” I can really see that in staff and in our volunteers. The bottom line is that we make meals and you deliver. That’s what we did during the lockdown phase—and what we continue to do. So, it is “business as usual.” A volunteer said to me in March—“people need to eat.” We all recognize that simple fact and continue to do what we do. It’s worth noting, though, that conducting our usual business during the lockdown was not they typical environment. As such, we all need to debrief. Take a moment to sit back, review the last few months, and recognize what an accomplishment it was for all of US to stay on mission. Amazing. What’s your COVID Super Power??
Best,
Vicki Coyle, CEO