As the sudden and unexpected effects of COVID-19 unfold around the world, many have found themselves scrambling in the face of unanticipated hardship.
In Squamish, as people are laid off, losing childcare and self-isolating — on top of the health concerns of the pandemic — many have come together (while social distancing) to help.
Common people for the common good
Community members have joined forces to help each other.
Using the tools of social media, a Facebook group "COVID-19 Coming Together (Squamish)" was created to streamline access to services and help, be it an offer of a drop-off of goods or a request for assistance of some kind. Similar groups have popped up to share information related to the pandemic.
In an email to The Chief, Tara Hartzell, one of the administrators, said the group was modelled on a similar one in Vancouver.
"We are especially wanting to reach those most at risk in our elderly and vulnerable populations in Squamish, as well as those significantly hit by the burden of these sweeping changes," Hartzell wrote.
The group encourages using COVID-19 Coming Together (Squamish) to reach out on behalf of community members who may not be on Facebook.
Business (not) as usual
As of March 20, Sunny Chibas began a free meal program for those in need. While it started with 40 meals on the first day, co-owner Diana Frederickson said she expects to help more daily.
The restaurant can provide 130 free hot meals a day, plus more based on donations from the public. So far, they're raised an additional $650 for the program and people have offered to drive for delivery. She said, if donations continue at this rate, they could feed up to 600 people a day for free. All on top of their usual operations.
"I know what it's like to be in a struggle. I was a single mom for a very long time," Frederickson said. "I just kind of came up with the idea — the fact that we have a kitchen. We have access to a food supplier who is absolutely wonderful."
Their food supplier offered Sunny Chibas food at and below cost as well as some for free. Frederickson ran the idea past her business partners Aaron Lawton, and Scott and Leslie McQuade and it was a unanimous yes.
"Why not do what we can for as many people as we can?" she said.
The restaurant is still open for take-out and delivery to the public, who are encouraged to donate to the free meal program. The donation of $1 pays for someone's free hot meal.
The program, Frederickson said, is also a way to keep their staff employed.
As long as Sunny Chibas is open and they can afford to do so, Frederickson said they will offer free meals to those in need. Anyone who needs it is welcome to take part, she said. That could include Quest University students recently asked to leave campus or people can't afford to keep up with their bills.
People can get in touch through Sunny Chibas's Facebook page or by emailing sunnychibas@outlook.com.
Lifting spirits
On March 17, Rebel Fitness decided to help their members workout from home by lending out the gym's equipment. So far, around 30 people have taken some of the gym home.
To maintain social distancing, the gym is giving out equipment by appointment to ensure there is only one person in the gym at a time. While the gym’s Keith Riel said about 90% of the people borrowing equipment are members of Rebel Fitness, the offer is also open to people who need it on a case-by-case basis. Given some of the equipment is too heavy or difficult to transport, most of what's on loan includes dumbbells, medicine balls and skipping ropes. If they decide to lend some of the bigger pieces of equipment, there may need to be a deposit. Many of the gym's programs and workouts are being converted online through their social media and app.
"I think health and wellness is a priority all of the time, but I also think when we're confined. we can get into places of depression and sadness. I know one thing for sure: that exercise definitely helps with maintaining happiness and a feeling of satisfaction. I think it's really just staying positive. I think that's the most important thing at this point."
Those interested can contact Rebel Fitness at www.rebelfitnesssquamish.com.
Helping hands
The organizations that are regularly dedicated to helping those in need have seen an increase in demand during the pandemic.
Squamish Helping Hands' focus has always been to help those with financial or food insecurity. During the pandemic, they have continued to offer their services. The Home InStead Transition Services are continuing with elevated cleaning procedures and a Vancouver Coastal Health support team is helping residents by phone. The emergency shelter will remain open. The extreme weather program will operate until March 31, then the temporary shelter program will come into effect on April 1 to accommodate the increased number of homeless people in Squamish following the Budget Inn closure.
The drop-in daytime service for access to phone, laundry, shower and bathroom use at Helping Hands is being reduced to four people at a time. Meal service is being reduced to six people at a time and self-serve has been cancelled, but Helping Hands has begun a take-away hot meal service.
For those who can help, Squamish Helping Hands is asking for donations of tents and other equipment.
Find more information at www.squamishhelpinghands.ca.
At the Squamish Food Bank, there has been an increase in both need and donations. After the ski resort closed last week, Whistler Blackcomb donated its perishables to Squamish Helping Hands and the Squamish Food Bank.
"We were really thankful to get that donation from Whistler Blackcomb. It was kind of a silver lining. We got some bad news that it was closed and then we were desperate for perishable food and it came at the right time," the Squamish Food Bank program manager, Emma Cox, told The Chief.
Other local businesses have also stepped up, with Geo Cider Co. donating vegetables when they decided to close. Valleycliffe Elementary School donated some gift cards, and the Squamish Food Bank has seen an influx of online donations.
"Our donations have just skyrocketed," Cox said. "I feel like every few minutes I'm getting an email to say somebody's donated through Canada Helps. People [in] our community are being really amazing during this tough time."
In the past week, there has been an increase in people using the food bank. While Cox said they normally distribute around 60 hampers on a food bank day, more than 80 hampers were given out on March 18.
"There's definitely been an increase in demand, and we're anticipating that it will be the same, if not more, for the next food bank day which is on April 1."
The increasing need comes from a combination of factors sparked by the pandemic, Cox said. "People have been laid off if they're a casual worker, or they can't work because they've got kids that are off school for the foreseeable future and they have to look after the kids. Depending on what field they work in, they're having to work overtime, so their childcare costs are going up. I think it's just a financial hardship in many ways, for a lot of Canadians at the moment. Also, probably the panic of grocery stores selling out of certain food items, and people coming to the food bank to supplement what they have at home already."
The food bank has around 15 regular volunteers and some casuals. To maintain social distancing, the volunteers have been split into smaller teams, only a few working on the hampers at a time and people cannot come into the food bank to shop as usual. Instead, hampers are being given out at the door.
Cox notes that many of the food bank volunteers are older — falling in the higher-risk group for the novel coronavirus. The food bank is asking anyone who is younger and healthy to help out on distribution days if they can.
"Our main concern is that we may not get much food in our pick-up from the grocery stores next week. We rely on the surplus food from grocery stores to stock our shelves for the next food bank," she said.
"We are going to encourage people from the community — if they can get out, if they're not self-isolating and they're safe to go to a grocery store — to put non-perishable items into the donation bins to help us stock our shelves. But if people are self-isolating, then they can still help us from home by donating on our Canada Helps page," she said, at www.canadahelps.org.
At all of the grocery stores in Squamish — Nesters, Save-On Foods and the Independent — people can buy and donate gift cards for others to use. The gift cards can also be bought over the phone. These gift cards go into the food bank's hampers, in case they don't get food donations, and allow participants to buy what they need directly from the shops.
While the food bank does hamper deliveries, the service had already reached its limit before COVID-19. There is a waitlist, and they are currently able to deliver 40 hampers. People self-isolating and in need of the food bank can have friends or family pick up their hamper. The food bank is also asking for volunteer drivers to help with the service.
Interested volunteers or donors can contact the Squamish Food Bank at 604-815-7332 or squamish.food.bank@gmail.com.
