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March 20, 2020

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Schooling at Home

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Small Gesture Triggers Community-Wide Acts of Kindness Above: Greenwich Hospital Emergency Department staff express their gratitude. What began as a small gesture by a group of Riverside residents to support a local eatery and first responders at Greenwich Hospital has blossomed into a community-wide act of kindness. Cody Kaye and a small group of friends ordered five pies from Greenwich Pizzeria for delivery to the Emergency Department on Tuesday, much to the delight and surprise of the doctors, nurses, and other healthcare professionals working around-the-clock to care for patients. “We were looking for a way to support our local establishments and have the food delivered to people who we thought could use a break and a slice of pizza,” said Kaye. “Greenwich Hospital is our local hospital. We’ve all been there – whether to have a baby or bring a kid with a broken arm to the Emergency Department. It’s our way of saying thanks to people we can’t see in person.” As word of the pizza delivery spread, Kaye shared the news in an email to parents in her daughter’s third-grade class at Riverside School. The response has been tremendous. “We’ve seen donations of $20 to $300,” said Kaye. On Wednesday, the Riverside residents were planning to deliver sandwiches from Aux Delice to Greenwich Hospital nurses working in the medicine unit. “We’ll keep ordering and delivering food as long as we have donations,” she said. “It’s the least we can do.”

Tackling Food Security Locally By Julia Lucey Right now, it is our priority to stay healthy and safe. This means tak ing measures such as increased hand washing, social distancing, and staying home as frequently as we can. For many, this is easier said than done. Many families and individuals in Greenwich and surrounding communities don’t have the means to stock up on groceries all at once, now it is time for those of us who can to help to do as much as we can. Thankfully, in Greenwich, Stamford, and Port Chester alone there are outstanding food banks that are working hard to keep everyone fed. Greenwich’s Neighbor to Neighbor operates as a “Client Choice” food pantry, predominantly serving Greenwich Residents. Neighbor provides three days’ worth of food for each family member on a weekly basis, allowing clients to choose which food items they wish to have. As of March 18, Neighbor to Neighbor plans to keep their food pantry open amid the Covid-19 situation, and are prepared to do so after increasing their inventory. That being said, additional help from the community is invaluable to the organization and goes such a long way. Half of the food Neighbor to Neighbor distributes comes from community members; while they are not currently accepting clothing donations, Neighbor to Neighbor is gratefully accepting food and monetary donations at their donation center in the basement of Christ Church Greenwich. The Donation Center is open Monday through Saturday, from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm, as well as from 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Currently, their most needed

items include tuna, chili, canned meats, canned fruit, jelly, cereal, dried beans, and rice. Of course, this may be a difficult time for some to go and donate food in person, but there are still other ways to help! Every dollar counts, literally: Neighbor to Neighbor buys in bulk, so for every one dollar you donate, this provides $2.50 worth of food. You can donate directly through their website at ntngreenwich.org; all you have to do is fill out a form, and over 90% of your donation will go directly to Neighbor to Neighbor’s programs. Si m i la rly, i n St a m for d, t he Ne w Covenant Center serves to provide meals to those who otherwise wouldn’t have one. The NCC is one of the largest soup kitchens in Connecticut and is open 365 days a year, serving three meals a day. In addition to providing nutritious, hot meals everyday, the New Covenant Center’s food pantry provides almost 400 families with sufficient groceries each month. The organization plans to stay open during this time and are asking for the community’s help to ensure this can happen. In terms of food items, all contributions help; some of their most needed items include canned tuna, jelly, canned soups, dried black beans, and macaroni. Some general items that are always useful include sugar, flour, oil, chicken broth, instant coffee, sardines, roasted almonds, canned evaporated milk, and oatmeal. Again, if physically donations are not within your capabilities at this time, no worries -- monetary donations are easily made at newcovenantcenter.org. NCC also has an amazon wishlist where you can purchase the food from amazon and have it shipped to their kitchen.

Additionally, The Food Bank of Lower Fairfield County, Inc. works to provide for about “90 non-prof it agencies and programs that serve low income people” in six nearby towns. They provide groceries and meals to soup kitchens, food pantries, childcare programs, homeless shelters, senior centers, and other crucial programs in our community. The virus is hitting the organization particularly hard, as many of the programs and services they provide goods to have had to increase their food distribution. In a recent statement, Kate Lombardo, the Food Bank’s executive director, explained that they currently have about half the food supplies they usually have in stock at this time of year. Lombardo requests that community members donate food items such as canned milk, soup, rice, pasta, cereal, and tuna. Donating money will also go a long way -- the more they are able to buy in bulk, the less it will cost them. It is imperative that all of us help our food kitchens and nonprofits that provide food for so many across our town and county. These times are hard on all of us, without a doubt; most of us have never experienced something like this before. Everyone’s concerns, disappointments, and confusion are valid, but to some members of the community, the effects COVID-19 has had on everyday life jeopardizes their access to sufficient meals. This is a time to support those around us (from a safe distance), so if you’re in a position to help, know that it matters. Remember, every dollar will go a great distance in helping everyone make it to the other end of this situation as easily as possible.

Tips and tricks for parents new to distance learning and having children at home from a veteran educator and homeschooling parent. O b v i o u s l y, a l l o u r l i ve s a r e changing rapidly. If you have schoolaged children, this means adjusting to schooling at home. Whether you are assisting your children with distance learning or going it on your own, if this is new territory for you, help is available. Even seasoned home s cho ol i n g p a r e nt s w i l l b e struggling right now with the closing of libraries, cooperatives, and specialty schools. Remember that we are all in this together. This could be such an incredible period of growth and bonding for you and your children that you might not want to let go when this is all over. Hey, it could happen. Until then, make the most of your time with your children and try to enjoy the process, adding in some levity to a rather daunting situation. Hav i ng homeschooled my th ree children successfully into college and shepherded hundreds of children through a non-traditional educational experience, I have had twenty-one plus years learning from my mistakes. I am here to help you avoid the big ones, while creating an enriching and warm environment in which you and your children will thrive. The most important thing right now is to establish a predictable routine and a sense of normalcy for yourself and your children. Establish clear goals and expectations upfront. This will help to balance the craziness outside your front door. The next most important thing is a shift in perception. Let go of the traditional classroom. Let it go. Traditional classrooms are designed for multiple students at varying levels. Your situation is altogether different. There are always multiple ways to both give and to absorb information. The ones that are most ef fective for your child will depend on their learning style so try a few approaches and see what sticks. Legos are a great learning tool, used to teach physics, history, architecture, and logical thinking. Maybe they need to move around. Do not feel guilty about taking a hike and getting outside or playing a game. These are part of a remarkable life and a comprehensive education. General Tips 1. Remember that no two families are alike. The endless flexibility and possibilities make home learning completely customizable for you and your children. 2. Set up an area close to you – or continued on page 13

Wagging Finger or Open Palm?

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By Jill S. Woolworth, LMFT

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Trial By Fire

In first months on the job, Camillo handed a crisis. By Peter Negrea We sat down with the First Selectman Fred Camillo, to gauge the town’s reaction to the coronavirus pandemic. Camillo notes t hat si nce t he v i r us is accelerating in the United States, the Town of Greenwich is taking preventative measures early. The proactive measures taken by Camillo serve a dual mandate: to reduce community spread and to direct resources where they are

needed most. “We are ahead of where we need to be, but we need to stay on top of it,” says Camillo, “it’s eventually going to level off, then go down, and then we’ll be beyond it. But you just have to prepare people to not panic; we’re doing really well.” The prevent ive me asu re s already implemented around town are not expected to stop the virus completely. There are already six conf irmed cases in Greenwich,

and an additional 24 cases that are awaiting test results. Therefore, town of f icials are redirecting resources from non-essential operations to the core functions of town government. “This [Town Hall] is essential, the transfer station and the dump is essential. The sewage treatment plant is essential, [other departments like that]. These are the core functions of government,” Camillo explains.

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ILLUSTRATED BY WAJIH CHAUDHRY

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Any demand can be stated as a request. The problem is, most of us wait too long to make our wishes known, hoping that the other person will intuit our requests. Partners aren’t mind readers. Neither are roommates. It’s important to communicate our requests before resentment builds up. It’s easier to choose the right words and tone of voice when we’re not angry. Otherwise, out comes our wagging finger, our sharp tongue, or maybe even a verbal hammer. It’s also important to find out the other person’s preferred form of communication. One person might prefer a written list; another person might perceive such a list as nagging. When our partner experiences us as an angry, critical authority figure instead of a peer with a sincere request for help, we usually get nowhere. Our partner’s perception is reality regardless of our intent. Open palms have a higher hit-ratio than wagging fingers. Sophia learned how to distinguish whether her partner, Scott, saw a wagging finger or an open palm by carefully observing his body movements as she made her requests. Scott moved toward her open palm and away from her wagging finger. She started over when she sensed Scott moving away. Greenwich resident Jill Woolworth is the author of the book, The Waterwheel available locally at Diane's Books.