The Cortes Island Food Bank has been operational since Samantha Statton’s son was in Kindergarden, twenty years ago. Up until recently, she responded to requests by dropping a hamper off at the Mansons Hall office. So how has COVID 19 affected the Cortes Island Food Bank?
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How COVID 19 Changed The Quadra Island Food Bank
The Quadra Island Food Bank has been open on the first and third Wednesdays, of every month, for years. They provide food for 50-60 people every time. Anyone with a Quadra Island address and photo ID can register. Up until recently, they have operated out of a storage facility next to the Quadra Community Centre. There was not enough room to comply with the new social distancing regulations, so they moved into the community centre. I recently asked coordinator Amanda Smith if there were other ways the COVID 19 crises has changed how the Quadra Island Food Bank operates.
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Does the SRD Deliver?
The headline caught my eye. ‘SRD Delivers’ is a play on words, for a program meant to assist “with grocery shopping, the delivery of food, prescriptions and other essentials for the benefit of the elderly (65+) and other vulnerable persons who must self-isolate in accordance with Public Health Orders.” However, could there also be a deeper meaning – does the SRD deliver?
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Ways To Reduce COVID-19’s Impact
ScienceDirect recently published a research paper by Paul Stamets and six scientists, from the University of Arizona and the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine, called “Integrative Considerations During The COVID-19 Pandemic.” Though written in scientific terms, there is enough plain english words to make it understandable for lay people. For example: the key word in the phrase “liquiritigenin from Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice)”is, of course, ‘licorice.’ Stamets and his colleagues listed a number of ways to reduce COVID-19’s impact.
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How Is Hollyhock Coping?
According to CEO Peter Wrinch, “Hollyhock exists to create, curate, and host inspiring, meaningful experiences that provide both the inner and outer skills for personal growth and social transformation.” During peak season (July/August), the non-profit educational centre employs close to 10% of Cortes Island’s adult population. Hollyhock had a record year in 2019 and, expecting to repeat the experience, put together an ambitious slate of programs for the April 14 to October 24 season. Then the COVID-19 crises reached our area. Now the tentative opening date has been pushed back to the beginning of June, at the earliest. About 40 Cortes Island residents who had expected to be employed, are now sitting at home. How is Hollyhock coping?
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