It is a bit rowdy at the Community Center today. The topics of conversations swirling around involve anything from protesting to the inescapable Pennsylvania summer heat and even who won the World Cup in 2018 (it was France.) This is RCI. As we adjust to this new, COVID-19 normal, some things sound, look and feel very different. Our purpose to cultivate community through time, resources and conversation, however, remain the same. In some moments that cultivating community sounds like big ‘important’ conversations about safety and the state of the world. In others it is the comfort of equally important relationship sharing around topics like when the new Star Wars movie may be released or distanced birthday plans.
Throughout COVID-19 some of our guidelines have changed for the safety of our community members and staff. During this time, RCI has made the decision to stay open during our normal hours because our community members often simply do not have the option to ‘shelter in place.’ Our community members do not have the luxury of looking for alternatives. RCI has become a hub for prepackaged foods, healthcare, community and support while so many other programs are in necessary flux. That means our day to day is different and ever-evolving. On a practical level, as we continue to be in constant communication with healthcare leaders and experts about what our actions need to be in order to safely operate, our policies have changed. We have added deep cleaning to our daily, after hours routine (and are ALWAYS in need of Clorox wipes!) as well as required hand-sanitizing, temperature taking, person to person distancing and mask wearing for all of our visitors as they come through the doors. This is with a reduced volunteering task-force as we try to keep all of the ones that we love as ‘low-exposure’ as possible. While this is important, it also means that we miss some of the things that we most appreciate about Ripple. We, like many, are missing the comfort of routine games, physical contact and even simple acts like handshakes and hugs.
Another part of our new normal means that we are all learning to be creative. While our volunteer team has not been able to come into the Center for the last few months, they have supported us with cards, laundry packs, prepackaged meals and other essentials (we truly have some AWESOME volunteers.) While our normal St. Lukes University Heath Network’s Parish Nurse team cannot be on site, we are working closely with them via phone to get individuals the medical and social help they may need via their open in hospital offices. Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s Street Medicine Team continues to meet with community members regularly at the Community Center to take care of the routine and more urgent medical needs of those who would not otherwise be getting care. We have been able to temporarily hire two of our Community Members to participate in our supportive employment program as we simultaneously offer technical support to our friends with their daily online needs which involve things like job applications, unemployment and housing paperwork, Census info and similar work.
Over the last few weeks, we have been working hard to reimagine how we can offer our signature restorative circles and therapeutic art activities as we continue to recognize their importance in helping our community to not just survive but to thrive. We are hopeful that resuming these activities in new ways can help Ripple to continue to do what we do which is to nurture community and connection in Allentown by fostering a sense of community among our neighbors who have traditionally been marginalized.
To be honest adapting can be hard. It is draining to constantly be working outside of the things that we know we do well. There are days that being in relationships that are ever changing is challenging and sometimes even painful, especially as our nation and world grieve daily injustices that directly and indirectly affect us. And yet, it is in these times that we recognize how Ripple can shine. This happens through community, relationship (even when it is messy), perseverance and a lot of grace. Thank you for continuing along with us on this journey and please check back on our Facebook page and website for updates!