Today I did some grounds maintenance at the church now that the stay at home order by the county has ended. I took Penny for her run and now she is sleeping on the bed. I am looking forward to church tomorrow.
San Luis Obispo County added six new cases of the coronavirus Saturday, increasing the countywide total to 259.
Health officials say out of the 259 cases, 234 patients have recovered, which is about 90 percent of all reported COVID-19 cases in the county.
The San Luis Obispo County Public Health Department reports 21 patients are recovering at home, three are in the hospital (two of whom are in an intensive care unit) and one person has died.
County health officials say 107 of these cases are in Paso Robles, followed by 38 in Atascadero and 22 in Arroyo Grande.
The public health department says it has conducted 2,715 COVID-19 tests at its lab, 85 of which came back positive.
The department says outside labs have detected 174 positive cases out of 6,125 tests.
The San Luis Obispo City Council has approved a plan aimed at supporting the economic recovery of local businesses as they reopen.
The Open SLO program temporarily uses the city’s public right-of-way, including sidewalks, parking spaces, and streets for community spaces.
Open SLO could include temporary weekend downtown street closures for outdoor dining and pedestrian use, temporary conversion of some designated parking spots to parklets and pick-up/delivery areas, pop-up bike lanes, and the use of Mission Plaza and city-owned parking lots for outdoor dining space.
The program is temporary and is expected to be in place for up to a year.
The city is soliciting feedback from the public by conducting surveys.
Memorial Day weekend is typically full of parades, flag ceremonies and other large group activities to honor fallen military heroes, but during the COVID-19 pandemic, the nation has had to find alternative ways to commemorate the sacrifices of those who have died while serving the country.
While we may not be able to have traditional in-person gatherings this Memorial Day, which falls on Monday, May 25 this year, the Concerned Veterans for America Foundation (CVAF) is encouraging people to come together online.
“What we’re asking folks to do in the context of this time, because we can’t get together this Memorial Day in the traditional venues, is to come together digitally, to honor the sacrifice of those fallen heroes by doing some small act of kindness in the community,” said John Byrnes, director of education at Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) and a veteran of both the U.S. Marines Corps and the U.S. Army.
CVA is a charitable organization whose mission is to empower the military community with the tools to promote freedom at home and connect veterans in need with free-market solutions to help them live healthy lives.
This Memorial Day weekend, CVA is partnering with Stand Together Foundation, a philanthropic organization dedicated to supporting “community-based catalysts for social change helping impoverished people across the country,” according to its website.
“We’re working with Stand Together to help with the acts of kindness aspect of their #GiveTogetherNow campaign,” Byrnes explained.
By doing any act of kindness and posting it to a social media platform with the hashtag #GiveTogetherNow, Stand Together will donate $500 dollars to a family suffering financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“You can make a mask for someone, you can go to the store or deliver someone’s groceries for them,” said Dhani Jones, former NFL linebacker and Stand Together Live host. “A delivery gentleman took garbage cans and brought them all the way up the driveway for somebody. You can go to a hospital and sing to nurses and doctors. We’re saying you can give the world to someone even if you have just your voice.”
To date, Stand Together has raised more than $58 million dollars, helping more than 116,000 families and counting. One of Stand Together’s donors pledged $2.5 million dollars to specifically support each act of kindness.
“The kindness piece was a special donor who wanted acts of kindness to unlock the money,” Jones said. “That could be 5,000 acts of kindness, which would distribute the full $2.5 million dollars, giving $500 dollars each to 5,000 families in need.”
This Memorial Day weekend, Jones, Stand Together and the CVA are encouraging people to come together by directing their acts of kindness toward veterans and military families as a way to honor our nation’s fallen heroes.
Help Heal Veterans, a nonprofit focused on using arts and crafts as a healing tool for veterans, is offering another alternative way to remember those in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice for Americans’ freedom this Memorial Day weekend.
“Saturday, we’re having Operation Craftathon,” said Joe McClain, retired Navy captain and CEO of Help Heal Veterans.
This event will allow veterans, crafters or anyone interested to participate in a live, virtual craftathon to make face masks from scratch during COVID-19.
“It’s a way to bring our vets together with makers and crafters in a digital and social experience,” McClain explained. “Right now, with folks isolated, the more contact you have the better for the healing process, especially for our vets who may be depressed or anxious.”
This weekend, in lieu of going to a parade or large gathering, McClain encourages people to participate in their event Saturday and to remember those who have passed on by reaching out to their communities.
“I think it’s mostly just important to honor service members in whatever way you can and remember the folks who have given so much,” McClain said. “Maybe it’s calling to say thank you to those that are still here, or helping them in some way, but for the most part, I think it’s taking a moment to reflect on what this holiday really means.”
By simply checking in with or helping service members in the community, as McClain suggested, and also posting the act of kindness to social media with the hashtag #GiveTogetherNow, people can make a real impact this Memorial Day by simultaneously helping a family in need during this pandemic.“You can give kindness, especially this weekend,” Jones added. “But let’s celebrate kindness not just Memorial Day weekend, but for the rest of our lives.”
With the county shelter at home order expired, Josh is able to do some grounds work at the church.
Sara (L) and Julie (R) discuss cleaning projects at the church.
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