Good evening,
I hope this note finds you each faring well during this time of uncertainty.
COVID-19 is temporarily changing the way all of us approach our daily lives and services.
The health and safety of our Littles, families, Bigs, Partners, and staff is our first priority. In order to support the local, state, and federal efforts to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, we wanted to make sure you are aware of the following:
- BBBSNEFL has moved all staff to virtual workability. Therefore, our main office will be closed until further notice – we remain available and ready to connect in support of you, your family, and your mentoring relationship via phone and email
- ALL school and work place mentoring has been canceled through the month of March – we will assess opportunities to resume meeting if/when schools reopen.
- Community Based mentoring may proceed under the mutual comfort and discretion of our mentors, parents/guardians, and Littles. Please exercise your best judgement and know we have many creative ideas for you to continue building your match relationship without conducting in-person visits for this period of time. Please reach out to your Match Support Specialist for ideas and to discuss further.
The safety of our members and staff is our top priority, as a community we need to do our part to combat the spread of this virus. If you are a Community Based mentor, we ask that you refrain from match activities with your Little if:
- You are ill for any reason, even if your symptoms are not the same as symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, cough, shortness of breath)
- You have traveled in the last two weeks to areas designated by the CDC as having level 2 or Level 3 Travel Notices
- You have chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes, a compromised immune system, chronic lung disease, and/or cancer which could put you at a higher risk for COVID-19
- If your Little or their family reports sickness, we encourage you to reschedule your in-person time together.
- We also advise you avoid large gatherings on any outing you may have with your little.
We also strongly encourage all community members, in all aspects of life, to follow the CDC’s recommendations regarding helping prevent the transmission of diseases.
We recognize the implications of our current reality go beyond social distancing and lost learning. If you or your family are experiencing challenges, please connect with your Match Support Specialist or Area Manager – we will do our best to connect you with resources local to our community.
For more on the provision of free lunches, please visit the DCPS website.
For more information on free access to internet connectivity, please visit Comcast’s Internet Essentials.
With tensions running high, school closures, and disruptions to schedules and normalcy, it is important to realize our youth are aware and may be worrying too. Here is an article that will aid your discussion on the virus with the youth in your life. Just talking in a calm but realistic manner can somewhat reduce the stress level for all involved.
As this is a fluid situation, we will be in communication with additional recommendations and information about events scheduled for next month and beyond. For now, we encourage you to follow all best practices, from the WHO and the CDC, designed to limit exposure and the spread of the coronavirus.
Thank you for your continued support of the youth of our community.
Be safe; stay well.
With appreciation,
