Look for the Helpers: First in line, hygiene for the homeless, church at home
As our area is faced with ongoing changes due to a growing pandemic, we are bringing stories of people doing good in the community during a time of uncertainty.
Look for the helpers.
Mister Rogers
To the Front of the Line
Here’s an incredible act of kindness that I saw with my own eyes.
This elderly woman was walking with a cart all by herself heading to the back of a very long line at Trader Joe’s on De la Vina on Saturday.
Midway, a woman stopped her and said, "you need to go to the front of the line," and then escorted her to the front of the line so she could be one of the first to enter the store.
As the elderly woman was walking by all the people in line she kept asking them, “Is this OK? Is this OK?” And every single person said yes and encouraged her to go to the front of the line so she could shop first.
Rocksteady from Home
Santa Barbara resident Angie Ruccio is a boxing instructor at Paragon. She teaches the a boxing class called Rock Steady -- specifically designed for local residents who have Parkinson’s disease.
The program has been going for a few years now And a lot of her students have seen improvements in their symptoms.
Ruccio didn’t want them to miss out on their workouts so she’s now teaching her classes online and posting them to YouTube. And a lot of her students are now doing the workouts inside their homes!
Ruccio says she really hopes she can reach beyond her class members to other people at home with Parkinson’s.
Showers of Blessing
The homeless in southern Santa Barbara county are still receiving hot showers and 30-day packs of biodegradable wipes during the COVID-19 crisis thanks to an organization called Showers of Blessing.
Showers of Blessing says they are doing all they can for people who can’t shelter at home like the rest of us.
“We screen every guest... direct the people who need help to people who can help,” said Executive Director Ken Ralph.
Showers of Blessing had a setback with four shower sites shutting down because of the crisis. They do have a new site available this Tuesday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds from 10 to 1.
They are looking for donations. For more information, you can visit their website.
Faith Online
Local churches are holding services online, including New Covenant Church in Santa Barbara.
On Sunday, Pastor David Moore held the first internet service via Zoom.
You can find more info at the New Covenant Church’s Facebook page.
Pastor Moore says the style is Christian but all cultures and traditions are welcome. Pastor Moore says quote his message is “in the past we may have pursued improvements to our lives, we are now discovering that our treasure is in people. People are the truest of things to value.”
A Concert in Quarantine
Lots of local musicians holding live concerts online to cheer people up including sisters Tina and Laura Schlieske.
Laura is a singer in the popular band Area 51. And she’s also in Tina’s band Tina and the BSides.
Their online concerts are called Tina and Laura Live from Lockdown. They say they plan on doing these shows for people every week! Their last online concert has thousands of views!
For more information, click here.
Know of any other helpers making a difference during these trying times? Send Alys an email and let her know!
