Covid, Grief, & Recovery - Getting there Together

Covid, Grief, & Recovery - Getting there Together

Dear Friends,

After a long year and a long “Covid winter,” spring has finally started to emerge for much of the country – and for many, with vaccines becoming more accessible and small symbols of “normal” returning, hope has also started to emerge. Dreams of plans with friends, reconnecting with family, starting work again, sending children back to school, and even taking a deep breath without a mask on all feel promising. We should certainly celebrate progress toward a recovery from the tragedy of Covid. 

But we’re also thinking about the wreckage wrought by the pandemic for many individuals, families, and communities that are not yet feeling hopeful or have a clear path to safety and well-being.

Much like grief, the pandemic often brought people together around a collective suffering and shared experience of loss. Just as when a loved one dies, those closest gather around, bringing resources and support. Eventually though, our tendency is to look for light and avoid the darkness of grief. Support and caring have a time limit and the network starts to dissipate as people go back to their lives and routines. Maybe they occasionally send a card or suggest lunch, but often people are left to suffer alone. 

This is the turning point we face now – to move forward, celebrate, and continue to rally around those who still need ongoing support in facing the losses Covid has brought.

In New Orleans, ATD Fourth World Volunteer Corps member and Board Member Dee Mauss explained that in the Upper Ninth Ward where she lives a church has made sure that material resources, Covid testing, and now, the vaccine have been accessible for people in the neighborhood. But, that has not been the case in parts of the Seventh Ward, a mere 15 minute drive away: “Not every neighborhood in my city has equal access to resources and vaccines. Now in the effort to provide vaccines to all residents, people have to travel to universities or convention centers outside of their community. Why are there not places within all neighborhoods that accommodate people who usually don’t travel too far out of their communities? What happened to creative ideas like mobile units? Maybe it is too cost prohibitive, but I believe that in a crisis such as this, the price we might pay could outweigh the cost of allowing people to fall between the cracks.” 

At our monthly meetings, the ATD Fourth World Board of Directors exchanges stories of creative initiatives already in motion in our communities. Mutual aid networks and grassroots organizers across the country have created a patchwork of help for families needing food, a ride from a neighbor, or even a place to stay. Reforms have taken place to abolish punitive welfare policies, get rid of juvenile justice centers, and engage local politicians in discussions on racial justice. These are just some of the ways we can help answer Dee’s questions. Creative ideas and solutions built with people in under-resourced communities can continue to sustain us through the “grief of Covid” with those who might otherwise get left behind. 

Sincerely,

Julia Sick

ATD Fourth World Board of Directors, Secretary

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