SAVE THE DATE Couples’ plans postponed as vendors brace for industry impacts amid COVID-19 P10
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April 9, 2020
ELBERT COUNTY, COLORADO
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Charities help residents affected by COVID-19 Agencies that provide assistance turn to public in time of need BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
For more than a decade, the Elbert County Coalition for Outreach (ECCO) and its team of volunteers have run the ECCO thrift store in Kiowa. The small store bring in donated items and sells them to help families who have been victims of crime, residents who are in need of help to pay their rent, utility bills or clothing in times of need. The coalition receives grants specifically for victims of crime, but it has always relied on sales from the thrift store to help other community members. With the statewide stay-at-home order, the thrift store has been forced to close, and without income from the store, the coalition is having a hard time providing assistance to those in need. “Most of our financing comes from the store, and normally we help about 10 to 15 families every week,” said executive director Erica Johnson. “We have no idea when we’ll be able to open again.” Johnson agrees with the decision to close the thrift store, as many of the volunteers are elderly, and she didn’t want to put any of them at risk of
The Food Bank of Kiowa Creek Community Church has tried to create a welcoming atmosphere as more people seek its services through the COVID-19 outbreak. COURTESY OF URSULA HUMMEL
becoming sick from the coronavirus. “We had to be cautious about the donations that were coming in,” said Johnson. “We would never want to put our volunteers at risk.” Johnson has been working with other local organizations to help those in the community. The Catholic Church has helped, and she’s received support from the Food Bank of Kiowa Creek Community Church as well as help with resources from the Office of Emergency Management. Johnson has set up a fundraising campaign on the store’s website at www.eccoinkiowa.com for communi-
Distance learning offers challenges Educators, parents, students scramble to adopt new way of schooling BY TABATHA STEWART SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA
ty members who would like to help. Food banks in Elbert County have seen an increased need for their services, and have made changes to the way they help families who need their help. The Food Bank of Kiowa Creek Community Church has started using an air purification system that is certified by the Kansas State University Food Sciences Department that kills all known viruses and bacteria both surface and airborne. “This system is used on the International Space Station for the
Halls that would normally be bustling with hundreds of students, chatting loudly and banging locker doors closed during class changes at Elizabeth High School, were eerily empty and quiet last week, after the school district switched to distance learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic to help stop the spread of the virus. Superintendent Douglas Bissonette took students and parents on a virtual tour of the schools during the first week of distance learning, to give them a glimpse of what the “new normal”
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SEE LEARNING, P4
We are a locally-owned indie bookstore located in Parker and we cater to the needs of our local community in Douglas County, Colorado. We feature new books and more! Stop in and say hi and join one of our book clubs: Mystery, Young Adult, Classics and New Releases. 11211 S Dransfeldt Rd. #101 Parker, CO 80134 303-357-8240 MON – SAT 9AM TO 9PM SUNDAY 11AM TO 6PM Go to www.booksareawesome.org for more information.
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“No memorial at the time of death postpones grief. To have a little finality in that moment is important.” Michael Wellensiek, director of operations for Horan & McConaty | Page 6 INSIDE
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VOLUME 125 | ISSUE 10