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Here’s an update for Monday, April 6. 

Thought of the day: It’s not what happens; it’s how you handle it.

We start a new week, and we need to accept we are likely to be home for a couple more weeks. But that doesn’t keep me from living on the phone and my mantra doesn’t change much; test, PPE, swabs, unemployment, small business loans, help for hospitals, aid for state and local government and just supporting people. We know the next two weeks are going to be very difficult. We all have jobs to do and we need to do them. And for most of us that is to STAY HOME. I love this PSA from the Mayor of Chicago.

Tonight at 6:00pm I’m joining WEMU for an hour to answer questions about Coronavirus and its impact on our lives. You can submit questions any time today via email to studio@wemu.org or during the broadcast here.

And I will host my weekly telephone town hall on Wednesday, April 8 at 5:30pm. I am available to you as always as well. We need to be accessible and it’s why I do a weekly town hall. It is more important than ever for us to communicate. We place calls but want to reach everyone so it is great if you sign up here. We will be sure to include you.

Paula Boase, the rock of the Downriver Community Conference, head of economic development who taught me more about Brownfields, Superfund, and government grants passed yesterday morning. It has stunned the Downrivers and her absence will be felt by so many. Godspeed to her.

One religious leader observed this week “I don’t think God caused the coronavirus, but I see God’s work everywhere,” she says. “In every single person who makes the decision to love their neighbor as themselves, in every person who’s staying home even though it’s not convenient, in every doctor and nurse and health care worker who are putting themselves at risk, in every grocery store worker. The proof of the holy is a lot of places.”

This is a difficult time but what makes our state so great is our ability to help those most in need. We’re a community that’s in this together. Please share what the stories of people in your community who are on the frontline keeping our communities together by working in the hospitals, grocery and drug stores, delivering goods or acting with kindness, compassion and humor. Whether they’re staying home or an essential worker, it all helps us defeat this invisible enemy. Tell your story here.

Thousands of critical, immediate jobs to support work during the COVID-19 pandemic need to be filled in Michigan. Pure Michigan Connect is a launch pad to new jobs, careers, and talents. It’s a tool for connecting Michigan’s jobs seekers and employers. Apply at MiTalent.org. 

New information becomes available every day. Below is a list of resources and information that can be helpful during this time. Please share this information with your family, friends, and colleagues. Stay Home. Stay Safe. Save Lives.
 
Coronavirus information

File for unemployment

Small Businesses can apply for low-interest disaster loans

Navigating Social Security Benefits
 
School Based Food Service Interactive Map
 
Food Banks and Kitchens in Michigan's 12th Congressional District
 
Contact numbers for people looking for information are:
• Centers for Disease Control, cdc.gov/coronavirus, 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636).
• Michigan.gov/coronavirus, Call 2-1-1 or 734-287-7870 from within Michigan to connect with help of all kinds including food, housing, healthcare, and more.