Building Community Resiliency
I write to you from my kitchen table as my children are back to school online in our dining room. My husband works from his makeshift office in our kids' toy room. All of us remain in pursuit of some new routine, some new normal. This new normal includes thinking about all of you and the impact COVID-19 is having on your daily lives, your families, your businesses and our economy.
Two weeks ago, a food service business in our community reached out trying to find a way to connect extra meals with families in need in the Treasure Valley. I was happy to receive the call and reached out to other community leaders to see how this offer might be best directed. At Idaho Business for the Outdoors, we continue to support our outdoors and the solace it provides our members and communities during this challenging time, but we are also stretching ourselves in new ways as community needs arise.
Many of our business members, including St. Luke's Health System, are on the front lines responding to the challenges COVID-19 presents to our communities and state. We thank them, as well as all of the physicians, nurses and health leaders for the invaluable work they are doing to treat and protect the people of Idaho right now. We are incredibly grateful for your ongoing efforts! We are grateful for all of the service industry workers who are supporting families, providing food, deliveries and essentials for those who have been asked to stay and work from home.
We encourage everyone to stay home and remain vigilant in social distancing, but find time to get outside and see what “everyday nature" has to offer. This is a term that has been trending lately, but it is essentially what you can take advantage of, that which might exist right in your own backyard. It may be the lawn where your kids play, the place where you walk, and empty fields, or maybe it's a “sit spot” near a tree where you go to recharge. Practice social distancing, but find your place of mental and physical solace.
As always, thank you for your ongoing support for Idaho's public lands, great outdoors and your community!