HUMBOLDT 鈥� COVID-19 has led to a lot of changes in the world: cancelled events, school and business closures, and enforced quarantines and self-isolations.
While these changes can be difficult for people for different reasons, a support group in Humboldt is trying to make things easier for everyone in need.
The Facebook group has seen more than a thousand people join in order to share COVID-19 news, call for help or offer assistance for everything from childcare to grocery shopping to food preparation.
Meegan Ward started the group hoping to streamline information, she said, since there has been so much coming out from government and media organizations, as well as questions and requests scattered around Facebook.
鈥淪crolling through Facebook, I saw a lot of friends posting questions to their personal pages and garage sale sites were getting flooded with information. It was all over the place.鈥�
Ward saw her own kids sending out offers to help people but it wasn鈥檛 getting very far. Humboldt has historically been a very giving place, and Ward said she knows her kids are not the only ones wanting to help.
And the page is evidence of that, she said, with numerous offers to help out wherever anyone can, especially for people willing to go out and run errands for people under quarantine or who are now nervous about going out.
In a time of uncertainty and panic, Ward said it is nice to have everything out in one place where everyone would have access to information. She has also had requests to send information via email for people who do not have Facebook.
Everyone needs something or has something to offer, Ward said, so she has seen every type of person post messages to the group, including people from outside of Humboldt in need. Ward even changed the name of the group to include the Humboldt District since everyone is being impacted by the virus.
No matter what people need or have to offer, Ward encourages everyone to keep things positive, relevant, and factual. The group is a safe place for people to go and she hopes it continues to be so.
鈥淓veryone can step up and hopefully, do their part whenever necessary. Times are a little bit more uncertain and grave, so it would be nice if everyone can pitch in and be a positive influence on each other.鈥�
Ward would like to thank everyone who has jumped on board with the group and have kept this goal of remaining a positive group in such an uncertain time.
