By TERRY CAGLE

Are you feeling a little thrown for a loop? Today, I’ve already heard COVID-19 compared to a hurricane, a tornado, and a perfect storm. Others feel like sand is shifting beneath their feet. Things are changing rapidly.

We are in unpredictable times. Many people are feeling helpless, isolated, and anxious. At the same time, so many are reaching out on social media and asking, “How can I help?”

So, I ask you, how can Connecting Caring Communities help?  

Because we care about the safety and wellbeing of those we serve as well as our volunteers, staff, and Abilene community, we are following protocol and cooperating with local authorities every step of the way.

We don’t consider our work “nonessential,” but here we are practicing social distancing, working from home, and creating a virtual community to offer connections and caring — the reason why we do what we do.

As much of our attention is focused, rightly so, on those needing critical services like health care, food, and shelter, we want to continue to inspire, encourage, and empower our community during this precarious time.

I want to take a moment to share how CCC is responding to COVID-19 and how we are trying to help.

• We want you to know that we are suspending all in-person meetings and events until further notice. We hate this! But it is vitally important that we all think of others by keeping to ourselves.
• Our Community Coordinators continue to reach out to our neighbors in College Heights through mailings, phone calls, texts, and social media. We are actively looking for neighbors who are struggling with getting groceries and other essentials and connecting them with the help they desperately need.
• We are using our website and social media sites to encourage loving our neighbors as we keep social distance.

We look forward to being able to gather as friends and neighbors as our programs resume. Until then, we will do what we can to stay connected and set a course for the future. We hope that you will join us in making sure that our mission remains sustainable as we navigate this unknown territory.

We believe in keeping love, joy, and patience flowing – even while engaging in social distancing. We are committed to loving our neighbors and neighborhoods in North Abilene. We are continuing to stay in contact with those who might need help. We are praying for this pandemic to pass. And we are thankful that in the midst of uncertainty, we are confident that God is good and loves us all.

That’s why I’m asking you to consider giving today and supporting our efforts during this incredibly difficult period.

Please check our website and social media for updates.

We will get through this – together while apart. We will adapt. We will learn lessons.
On behalf of CCC and all those we serve, I want to thank you for your support.

We couldn’t do this without you.

Terry Cagle is executive director of Connecting Caring Communities