Covid Time
This is how I refer to this odd interlude in our lives, COVID Time. It is set apart from our regular lives, and I am trying to embrace whatever there is to learn during it. It is not always easy, but one thing that keeps me motivated is the mission of our foundation ̶ enhancing and enriching the educational opportunities of children in Putnam City Schools. It keeps me focused on what we value.
The opportunity for the PC Foundation to help provide supplies to students reveals those values. We are working to find any way we can to help our teachers and students, and now more than ever, their families as well.
From afar, I witnessed several parents pour out profuse gratitude to the church partners who helped distribute basic school supplies to the families. Shouts of “You’re doing great Momma!” and “If they are still alive, then call that a win!” filled the air. Trying to work ̶ or stressing about not having a job ̶ combined with trying to run a household and now educating one or two or more kids has taken a toll on our families.
I heard one commentator joke, “When I had these kids, I didn’t know I was going to be expected to raise them!” We’re all used to our routines, and for so many of us, relying on the public school system to educate children is part of that system which we all count on to make life run a little more smoothly. That makes COVID Time more frustrating for us all.
We also value the people who work for us, and are so grateful that the Foundation’s board believes in retaining the highly qualified staff we currently have. Thanks in part to our continued support from staff and teachers who are also getting a regular salary, the PC Foundation has no intention of putting people on furlough.
We value our donors, who are helping us navigate the new challenges that arise during COVID Time. There is much that can be done, and our donors are already helping us do it!
If you have ideas for ways the PC Foundation can continue to fulfill its mission, please share with me at [email protected]. While so many things are different right now, our devotion to the children in Putnam City, their teachers, our staff, and our donors is just as strong as ever.
COVID Time or not, we’ve got work to do.
April 9, 2020