Students at the University of Maryland created an organization to provide free menstrual hygiene products to the campus community, called Get Ovary It.
When their funding was pulled from the university, the Student Government Association came in to help.
It began on March 5 when the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Maryland. On March 16, schools closed, as did public spaces. On March 23, all nonessential businesses shut their doors.
The year that followed changed the way we lived our lives, from mask-wearing to virtual socialization. Many struggled, whether suffering from financial difficulties, social isolation or food insecurity.
Yet this past year also was a time when people stepped up to help. The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore, thanks to the incredible efforts of its volunteers, donors and professionals, began tackling these challenges, intent on making sure our community stayed strong.
This is the story of the past year.
At this point, we have heard the phrase “these are unprecedented times.” And while we may tire of hearing those words, it doesn’t change the reality that these are indeed, unprecedented times.
Now that we are fully into the new year, we decided to reach out to some of the young adults in the Baltimore Jewish community, check in on them and see how life has been for them these past several weeks.
These are their stories.
This spring, as COVID-19 transformed our world, The Associated partnered with The Cohen Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University to examine the impact of the pandemic on the Jewish community. Baltimore was one of 10 communities that participated in the study, which drew data from more than 1,300 local respondents and 15,000 respondents nationally.
“The Associated embraces the use of data to drive our decision-making, and we are committed to pursuing research opportunities that provide greater access to reliable data. Participating in this study gave us the opportunity to better understand rapidly-changing community needs,” said Marty Himeles, Chair of The Associated’s Research and Grants Workgroup.
It was April 2020 and the height of the global pandemic. Cases of COVID-19 were soaring across the state.
Fraught with stress, knowing that information about the virus was changing constantly, Sophie Cohen, who was due with her third child, knew that this time would be different. She talks about the birth of her third daughter, the added anxiety that came from making decisions when no one knew much about the virus and how different it is raising a newborn during a global health crisis.
Maryland’s public universities have for months strategized about ways to keep students and faculty safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. But staff members who provide essential services, from housekeeping to IT, at many of those universities say their schools’ leaders have treated their safety and wellbeing as afterthoughts.
On the July opening day of this year’s strange and shortened baseball season, Clarence Haskett pulled out his phone and texted nearly 100 friends.
The group was “people that I’ve developed good relationships with over the years and see over and over again,” Haskett said. “I just hope everyone stays safe, so I can see them next year.”
Those friends surely appreciated getting a text from Haskett. But they probably would have preferred a cold beer.
Haskett, 61, is better known to legions of Orioles and Ravens fans as “Fancy Clancy” or “Clancy the Beer Man.” They cheer him on as he bounds up stadium steps carrying heavy buckets of brew, bending perilously over railings and striking muscular poses to serve his clients.
Haskett is one of scores of stadium workers and ancillary businesses who are sidelined by the year of the coronavirus, as players compete in empty stadiums with cutout figures propped in the front rows.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Thea Tullman Moore, Executive Director at Baltimore Musicales, on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
To stay connected to our audience and our artists during quarantine, we are recording virtual performances of the music we love, beginning with Rodgers and Hammerstein’s classic song, “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” Recording from seven different homes has presented us with unique challenges, especially because we are used to collaborating closely and in person with our pianist and with each other, but we are learning to adapt and use technology to simulate the experience of ensemble singing. We look forward to premiering a longer virtual concert on July 12 at 6:30 PM on our YouTube channel. We may convert our fall programming to virtual performances or offer a mix of both online content and live performances, depending on this ever-changing situation.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Dominique Youngblood, Owner of JuneNique Wig Boutique, LLC, on how she is adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
I have conducted virtual consultations to help women with natural hair tips during this quarantine, helping to educate them, and having open/fun discussions.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from David Morley, Principal at Zinnia Films, on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
We have been working with our clients about video messaging related to COVID-19, for both their customers and their employees. Our in-person production work now includes social distancing measures and equipment disinfecting before and after entering our clients’ workspaces.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Andy Beres, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Maryland SPCA, on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
For the safety of our clients and staff, we temporarily closed our facilities to the public on March 23. However, we’ve continued to support our community. We recently launched a virtual adoption process, allowing us to place pets in forever homes while observing social distancing per CDC guidelines. We’re also offering virtual training classes via Zoom.
Additionally, we’re providing community pet food assistance; supporting our fosters with food, supplies, and vet care; and providing free phone consultations.
Our 25th annual Festival for the Animals was postponed until September 26, 2020. For the time being, we’ve also suspended our humane education classes, spay/neuter services, and veterinary care to the public.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Dr. David Buscher, D.Ac., L.Ac., Dipl.Ac.,
Doctor of Acupuncture at Very Well Acupuncture, on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
In the face of the unknown risks, we decided to close the clinic completely on March 18th. During that time, we changed our clinic management software to a service that allows us to conduct telemedicine appointments. “Telemedicine acupuncture” may sound strange, but it’s actually really lovely and empowering. On a secure video call, we talk about the client’s pain or concerns and then guide them through a series of acupressure, self-massage, and breathing exercises.
Now, having received best practices for disinfection from our national organizations, we have reopened the clinic for limited office visits, as well.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Ali von Paris, the Founder of Route One Apparel, on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
Like everyone else in our state, we had to react quickly to this situation, and we have done a complete 180 in a few short weeks. We have allowed the majority of our non-fulfillment staff to work remotely, and our fulfillment representatives are wearing masks and gloves and practicing social distancing to stay safe while filling orders.
In addition, we have worked very hard and fast to design and sell new products, including essential items like face masks, neck gaiters, surgical caps and bandanas, as well as new t-shirt designs to try to help keep spirits up in this stressful time.
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from the Baltimore Museum of Industry on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
Thanks to our great education staff, we were able to pivot rather quickly and adapt several of our activities for “visitors” to use online. Industry-themed word finds, trivia questions, craft projects and such have been created, along with virtual tours of many of our galleries can be found on our website and are all free of charge. We also moved our weekly preschool program, Wee Workers, onto Facebook where each Tuesday, Ms. Gayle, an incredible museum teacher, presents a book and a craft related to a new gallery or industry each week. https://www.thebmi.org/
Small businesses and non-profits are especially hard hit during the coronavirus outbreak. We get it! Baltimore Fishbowl is a small business, too. To help small businesses and non-profits, we will provide regular updates to let you know how they are coping.
The following is an update from Green Spring Station on how they are adapting and coping during these times.
How have you altered your business to adapt to the quarantine?
Boutiques are offering virtual shopping options – facetime, Instagram DM, websites and text messages.
