Many of us are grappling with the impact of the Coronavirus on our organizations and programs this season. I know I'm feeling it, both personally and professionally. I live in a county on total lockdown. OF/BY/FOR ALL has had to cancel a bootcamp and 10 other workshops and events planned for the coming months. But the place I feel it most is in my chosen community of cultural and civic organizations.
Over the past week, I’ve talked with colleagues who’ve suddenly been laid off from their institutions. Others had to cancel their biggest event of the year. Many are grappling with how to be of service when their facilities are closed. Folks are stressed, overwhelmed, and asking questions about what comes next.
These conversations are tough. But they also give me hope. When we’re asking questions, we’re imagining how the future could be better. When we’re imagining with each other, we’re building visions of a collective, shared future. That’s the kind of future I want to live and work in. That’s the kind of future I want to help create.
If you are overwhelmed and need to prioritize yourself, do it. We see you and we value you. And—if you have a sliver of energy—I hope you'll find creative ways to share it with others. Many community organizations and individuals are struggling right now. If we can be good partners to each other, we can help each other through this.
Here are three specific things you can do right now to build a stronger future for you and your community:
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Keep in touch with your community partners. How’s your collaborator at the homeless shelter, the afterschool program, or the craft studio handling this? Make a list of your closest partners and find time to email, text, or call them to see how they're doing. It’s OK to do it one at a time. It’s OK if you don’t get to everyone. But try to reach out. Our partners are our colleagues and neighbors, and it’s important to treat them that way.
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Find a way to help with efforts already underway in your community for those who are most vulnerable. You don’t need to invent new forms of community service. Sometimes the most meaningful thing you can do is support others. Have a huge online following? Cross-post about other local activities. Hear about a great webinar? Share it. You can also get involved in mutual aid groups popping up to help get food, medicine, and shelter to those who need it most (check out this list in the US or this one in the UK for inspiration). When you enter a community on their terms, you’re more likely to provide what’s really needed. And you’ll start to build relationships that can grow in months to come.
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Start imagining how you want to show up differently with your community when things start to go back to "normal." If you're closed right now, how do you want to reopen your doors? To whom? How will it be different? How might you partner with others to build stronger relationships, a resilient organization, and a thriving community? This is an opportunity to dream and reimagine your organization's role in the community for the long-term.
As we move through this crisis, I wish you and your community good health. I wish you and your community calm, safety, and strength. And most of all, I wish you find opportunities to be of even greater value to each other. We're all in this together.