I’ve been really trying hard to keep in touch with my families, making 18-20 calls a day. I’m also a member of Altrusa International, which is a nonprofit organization focused on community service. One of the things we have is a program that provides books to children; Mary Marshall is our literacy chairman, and helped me get a donation of a thousand books! So when I’m calling families and talking to students, I’m asking their reading levels and reading interests, and I’m matching that with books I have access to through the program.
What I’m finding is that there are a whole lot more kids doubling up, their families moving in together because their parents have lost jobs or houses, or because child care is closed. So I can deliver several books to one home and you’ve got cousins and everyone all there and able to share.
I also got a tremendous donation of school supplies before all of this happened. So what I’m doing is sanitizing all of that, dividing it into Ziplock bags. I’ve sanitized a thousand books!
I also had a pastor give me grocery gift cards. I’ve got some craft kits and things. So I’m making care packages and I’m going to deliver them like pizzas! I think it will be really fun, and a real boon to parents, helping them promote family literacy. Marta Queant who works for our Head Start program will come with me, to help deliver to Spanish-speaking families.
I’ve always done food security bags for all the district’s homeless students, and now, that’s even more important. I’m working with the district’s nutrition specialist, and we’re providing meals for every child now, while schools are closed. We’re using the buses; bus drivers are just driving their normal routes, and we’ve dropped off 6,000 breakfasts and lunches so far! I’m grateful to my superintendent, Jarod Cordon, and my direct supervisor, Rick Burton, who believe in taking a healthy risk and have allowed me to do these things.
Juliana Marez is coordinating book and school supply drop-offs to her students in the Roseburg School District.
We’re connecting with people by phone. The populations that I work with are not always easy to track down. I had three new kids move into shelters with their families this week, so I’m calling shelter directors and coordinating things, like how to drop off the Chromebooks the district ordered for the students who needed them to be able to access online learning.
Any kid that needs a cell phone can also get one. That’s coordinated through the self sufficiency program at the state, where they also go for SNAP and those things.
One of my next steps is to connect with the Cow Creek Tribe here in Roseburg, and find out how I can partner with any programs they’re doing. I’ve been sharing lots of resources for my Native kids. Indigenous artists, poets, and musicians are doing a lot of free shows on the internet, and a lot of tribes are putting their language classes online. There are great opportunities for cultural education right now.
I worry about some of the kids getting enough fresh air and sunshine since all our parks and trails are closed. I wish there was some way we could agree and coordinate access for those who don’t have any outside space. It helps with everything; I have concerns about mental health and relapse in some of our families.
Connection is so important right now. We have students and families struggling, and we want them to know we’re thinking about them.
How is the COVID-19 pandemic affecting your corner of the early care and education world? Please email Ashley Walker at ashley@childinst.org or click the button below to submit your story through our form.
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