Daily Archives: April 20, 2020

SAN DIEGO, April 15, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Golden Rule Charity, a national organization uniquely focused on delivering resources to qualified hospitality companies and employees in times of need, is launching a bold new fundraising effort to respond to the extraordinary challenges of those impacted by COVID-19. All donations will support the nonprofit's grant program, which awards applicants who currently work full or part time and have been employed in the industry a minimum of 6 months and meet additional criteria.

"Members of our hardworking hospitality family including employees of restaurants, bars, hotels and wineries are suddenly facing dire circumstances due to a complete shutdown of businesses across the country," says Paula Robison, president and CEO of Golden Rule Charity. "We typically rely heavily on fundraising events, but with restrictions on gatherings we have no other means than to make a direct appeal to those willing to give financially to help us help those in an industry dedicated to serving us every day. The organization has received many more grant applications than we can accommodate at this time and are focused on fundraising efforts to provide support to as many individuals as possible."

Simon Majumdar, Golden Rule Charity's Celebrity Ambassador also states, "it is our goal to raise as much money as possible during this unprecedented time, while still supporting the organization's mission."

Tax-deductible donations can be made online at goldenrulecharity.org.

About Golden Rule Charity

Golden Rule Charity is a national 501c3 charitable organization founded in 2015, inspired by hospitality industry native, Judy Walker. At inception it was the only organization providing timely relief to hospitality companies and employees in need, with a nationwide reach. Since launching, it has granted more than $60,000 in funds, which have gone directly toward dozens of individuals in need. Partner organizations includeNapa Valley Community Foundation,Sonoma Valley Community Foundation,Caterina's Cluband dozens of individuals, bringing aid to disaster victims. For more information, visit goldenrulecharity.org.

Media contact:Valerie Christopherson/Lora WilsonGlobal Results for GRC+1 949 608 0276[emailprotected]

SOURCE Golden Rule Charity

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Hospitality Industry Organization, Golden Rule Charity, Launches Multimillion-dollar Fundraising Initiative to Help Those Affected by COVID-19...

Sponsored - The following content is created on behalf of Allen Law Firm and does not reflect the opinions of Gray Television or its editorial staff. To learn more about Allen Law Firm, visit http://www.billallenlaw.com.

In this unprecedented time, taking exceptional care of existing and new clients in a timely manner continues to be a priority for Allen Law Firm. Although we all must take steps to keep our communities safe, we know there are many ways to continue conducting daily business and serving our clients well. With that in mind, we want new clients to know that you can become a client of Allen Law Firm in the comfort of your home. You dont need to leave the house to meet with our lawyers or team. Phone and Video conferencing are available to existing and potential clients, as well as electronically signing any necessary documents. We remain readily available to assist for all your personal injury needs.

Legal CareOur Gainesville and Ocala personal injury lawyers primary focus is to deliver exceptional, expedient service and results to every single client which includes the following pledge:

ALLEN LAW FIRM PLEDGE:Our team will do everything in our power to:1) Provide you with outstanding extreme personalized client service2) Keep you informed and up to date throughout every part of your case3) Win you the best possible result4) Work your case with a sense of urgency and speed5) Fully explain all your legal options6) Serve you extraordinarily well7) Be positive, enthusiastic and assertive throughout the handling of your case8) Always provide you with an honest assessment of your case

At Allen Law Firm, we know that sincerity, integrity, and trust combined with exceptional legal expertise and experience, are the distinguishing factors of our firm. We vow to be true to our word and pledge because, to us, reputation and integrity are everything.

The Golden RuleWeve found that at the core of our firms success is the Golden Rule our guiding principle treating others as you want to be treated. In tough times like these, those words ring louder than ever. We cant work, play, live, lead or love by ourselves. We are meant for community and each other. Together, we will beat this virus. But while we are socially distancing, Allen Law Firm will continue working with a specific goal in mind - how the client will feel about us at the end of their case. As Bill often says, we always stay focused on how the client is going to feel about us at the end of their case, whats their impression of the work weve done, and how we treated them in the process.

Contact us today in Gainesville at (352) 331-6789 or Ocala at (352) 351-3258 visit https://www.billallenlaw.com/ to learn more during a free consultation

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Local Attorney Helping Clients From the Comfort of Their Homes - WCJB

The golden rule of solidarity in an epidemic from ankara city council

Ankara City Council (AKK) calls the Capitalists to be against the epidemic with the '10 Golden Rules of Solidarity in the Outbreak'.

Stating that they prepared a project in order to facilitate the lives of the capital residents and increase the local solidarity culture, Ankara City Council Executive Board Chairman Halil brahim Ylmaz said, Solidarity and cooperation with our neighbors will strengthen us against the epidemic and even provide us with a strong infrastructure in terms of our human relations for the post-epidemic period. .

Expressing that they want to announce to all the people of Ankara that they can stay strong only by acting together against the epidemic, AKK President Halil brahim Ylmaz said, As Ankara, the capital, we believe that we will be a big family of six million neighbors.

Stating that all countries in the world have been working together for a common struggle for the first time after a long break, Ylmaz made the following evaluations:

We will eliminate this global epidemic in our neighborhoods, apartments, and centuries of neighborhood relations. In this period, where we will witness the harsh conditions of the time we passed through, we want the capitals to act with the principle of 'It is not from us that lies in hungry when we are hungry' and be with those who need financial and moral support. As the Ankara City Council, we invite the Capitalists to apply the 10 Golden Rules to get through this process.

AKK Executive Board Vice President Dr. "10 Golden Rules of Solidarity in the Outbreak", prepared by a team of academics composed of the City Council component under the chairmanship of Sava Zafer ahin, are listed as follows:

1. Make sure you are in a healthy mood and rational thinking. Apart from the scientific data announced by the authorities, stay away from the sources of information that will cause you to panic and cause excessive fear. Allow enough time for interests outside the epidemic during the day and think rationally.

2. Review the "social distance" golden rule before each step you take. Goodwill and sincerity can sometimes violate the rule of keeping distance with people, the most important rule in the outbreak. Do not act before you are absolutely sure that what you will do will not spread the epidemic. If you are confused, seek the opinion of the authorities on this matter.

3. Communicate with your apartment, site, neighborhood management, and your neighbors about your solidarity about solidarity by contacting them. When doing this, use telephone and digital communication tools as much as possible. If you do not get a result, do not despair. It is very important that you have solidarity even with one neighbor.

4. Determine the method of communication in which you will communicate continuously and healthily within the apartment, site and neighborhood. For example, you can create a volunteer-based emergency line within your neighborhood, create social media and instant communication groups, and use the notice boards in apartments and sites. Start by announcing the communication method to be determined to your neighborhood / neighborhood. Identify the rules and responsible persons to prevent abuse and unnecessary use of the communication method.

5. Review your neighbors' situation, starting with your own family. Monitor the situation of older people, children, people with disabilities and young people in particular. Try to identify people and their needs that may be in a difficult situation. Remember, these needs can be material and spiritual. If necessary, contact your neighbors for the correct needs assessment.

6. Identify resources and volunteers in your neighborhood via the communication channel you set. The existing resources and voluntary workforce of a neighborhood can become very important in the event of an epidemic. You can create a solidarity budget for people who are not financially well developed and develop imam approaches to meet common needs. Remember, even calling and asking for a call may be a very important requirement during this period.

7. Declare available resources and volunteers to your neighborhood / neighborhood. It is important to have access to shared resources and to announce effectively what volunteers can contribute. Make sure that people who are not using digital tools and individuals with disabilities are informed especially.

8. Follow the aid and support mechanisms of the state and local governments and announce them over your communication network. Make sure your neighbors are properly informed, especially on access rules to the health system, access to outbreak support.

9. Create a group that can decide to deliver the help you gather and the voluntary contributions you designate to those in need, in cooperation with the authorities. This authorized person may be your neighborhood headman. It is important to find the right solution for those in need by preventing waste of time in emergencies. You can make a priority list according to the disadvantages of your neighbors in case there are many people in need.

10. Bring this help in kindness and justice to your neighbors who are decided to help and share their results with your neighbors. In times of crisis, such as epidemics, people can be very fragile. All aid should be carried out in accordance with human rights and privacy. The results of the studies should be announced in a language that will strengthen the sense of neighborhood, without giving the name of the person.

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'10 Golden Rules of Solidarity in the Outbreak' by Ankara City Council | RayHaber - RaillyNews

As we approach our favorite unofficial holiday on April 20, it's nearly impossible to know the immediate future of Colorado's cannabis industry, with numerous regulatory and societal changes (and un-changes) surrounding the plant less than a month into the pandemic. But weeds are tough plants and essential ones, too, according to the State of Colorado. To get more perspective, we caught up with a half-dozen cannabis trailblazers and OGs, all of whom were here before retail was legalized and the money quickly followed. Some have adapted to the evolving culture, others have refused to compromise, but all play a role in how we view the plant now and how 4/20s of the future might look. Here's the sixth and final installmentof our "Rolling With the Punches" series.

Nothing exemplifies the growth and change in the legal cannabis industry quite like extraction, the process of stripping the plant of cannabinoids such as THC and CBD, as well as all the smelly stuff. The word "hash" is a rare one in legal weed nowadays, supplanted by terms like "sugar wax," "live resin," "terpene sauce" and "rosin." Since there was essentially only one form of hash a little more than a decade ago, there was no need to differentiate.

Then the machines came.

Dave Malone was accustomed to smoking joints and an occasional special spliff with old-school hash when he took his first dab of wax the popular THC concentrate made with butane in 2007. Two years later, he started tinkering in solvent-based cannabis extraction. Now, Malone and his wife, Alana, run Green Dot Labs, an award-winning extraction lab in Boulder, where they've learned how to make live resin, THC diamonds and just about everything in between.

Westword:Since recreational sales began in 2014, has anything changed more in cannabis production than the extraction part?

Dave Malone: Yes and no. I think this entire industry is rapidly evolving the technology and the ways we do business. It seems like as soon as you invest in new technology, it's already obsolete by the time you install it. I would say extraction has changed greatly, specifically in refinement of concentrates. Butane [the most popular solvent used in extraction] is an aggressive solvent, but the refining aspect is something a lot of adopters in legalization were sort of wondering about if it was even safe to be smoking something made with butane that had a skull and crossbones on the package and rightfully so. But now we have ways to test and refine our concentrates to make sure they're clean and safe, and that's one big change for the better.

If the timeline of cannabis extraction were a history book, how many pages were turned by the time Colorado legalized, and how many pages have we turned since?The Trichome Institute interviewed me about extraction back around 2014 for its first edition, and it went in a book. I would love to go back and read that, because things have monumentally changed. How we filter our extracts, the equipment we use, how we package them, how we store them the list goes on and on in terms of what has changed with making high-quality concentrates. It's all changed dramatically over the last couple years. But what we do is generally above and beyond what the mainstream would do.

Trends shape the concentrate sector. Wax was the new thing in the 2010s, live resin came in shortly after, and then THC diamonds after that. Rosin has jumped in and out, as well. How much of a copycat business is this?

Every one of our competitors in this space is using one of three listed, peer-reviewed extraction machines there might be a few more nowadays that we're even allowed to use in the industry. So off the bat, it's essentially a level playing field, and we're generally using the same refining equipment bought from one or two main manufacturers. Everyone's standard operating procedures are within a few degrees of variance depending on what they're after, so it doesn't leave much room to differentiate.

In extraction, the golden rule has always been quality in, quality out. That remains true. You can't take crappy weed and expect a quality extract. We have a garden of plants that are specifically bred to do well in extraction. Then there's the branding part, because you want to make sure the consumer has something more to grab onto than a jar with yellow goop inside. We're taking a lot from the craft-brewing industry, honestly. You want something on the can, whether it's loud and bright or a nice little nugget of information about where the hops are grown. We're all getting a little bit better every year, so we have to figure out other ways to stand out.

Green Dot Labs co-founder Dave Malone.

Courtesy of Green Dot Labs

What more can be done to advance cannabis extraction at this point? Is there a form of concentrate in the future that looks totally different than the waxes, resins and shatter we're dabbing now?

Oh, sure there are a number things that can be done. The goal from a chemistry standpoint is purity. You want to isolate what you want in the cannabis plant, and get rid of what you don't. I think we've reached a plateau for the last year or two in regard to extract purity, but watch something happen after I say this, and our minds will be blown. That's the beauty of this whole thing: So many smart people from other walks of life are moving into this industry with their own technology and know-how and applying it to cannabis. It changes the game frequently.

There's a gap in the way people consume it. Evolutions in vaping technology that taste better or burn slower, the way the average consumer dabs and understands the effects of temperature there are things that can be done on that side. As far as extraction, though, I think we're pretty much where we're going to be as far as seismic jumps go, outside of maybe the realm of biosynthetic cannabinoids, which are synthesized from yeast.

Someone will be able to add the entire alphabet soup of synthesized cannabinoids to extracts, which could make it not commercially viable to grow plants at some point. When biosynthetic companies start to emerge and can provide a true full-spectrum cannabinoid dose, that will be game-changing. If that happens, the value of THC will go down so much, companies like ours would become flavor companies, where we grow cannabis plants to extract terpenes for flavor.

How has consumer safety behind dabbing changed since recreational legalization began?

We still don't have data on long-term health effects of dabbing, which isn't much older than a decade. What's the effect of people consuming high-voltage shots of cannabinoids? I'm not the expert to opine on it, but you want to make sure this is pure and not full of chemicals or solvents. Independent testing labs and state regulators quickly identified this, so now you'll see more culturally shared information. Intellectual property is very rare in this industry. Any time someone makes a new extract like the first time people saw THC diamonds or put live resin into vape cartridges that information is made widely available, and it doesn't take long. We can't really patent our intellectual property anyway, so all of this information is shared quickly.

Is there still space for kief and old-school bubble hash?

There's a product for everyone, and it all comes down to what you're willing to pay. It blows my mind that caviar [cannabis flower rolled in kief and hash oil], which is essentially the kitchen sink of concentrates, is sought after, but it is. Bubble hash, at least, has some aesthetic value and integrity, and it's a great product.

What, if anything, would you change about Colorado's cannabis landscape?

The budtender model. I don't want to alienate anyone, but it's kind of an unfair system that we have to participate in. The budtender has more power of influence than anyone in the entire cannabis space. They tell consumers what they want and what they're going to buy. Liquor stores don't have anywhere near that power, because you can browse and read labels yourself there. Once we move closer to pre-packaged goods, I think cannabis will be more like that.

For that indecisive consumer, which is a massive section of the market, they're easily persuaded. A lot of this persuasion goes into who greased the budtender the most with kickbacks or incentives, but I think a true free market will bring a different stratification of products into the marketplace. I could list a book of changes I'd like to see in cannabis rules or taxes, but as far as the marketplace goes, I think it should be more free.

Thomas Mitchell has written about all things cannabis for Westword since 2014, covering sports, real estate and general news along the way for publications such as the Arizona Republic, Inman and Fox Sports. He's currently the cannabis editor for westword.com.

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The Rapidly Evolving World of Marijuana Extraction - Westword

During coronavirus pandemic, students at Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center cook up some twitter masterpieces you can only see to believe

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STANLEY The tweets keep coming and for those who follow the Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center Culinary Arts account and youre home, hungry and days away from making a grocery run its just not fair.

From Haven, barbecue chicken looking all savory with mac salad and beans by its side. From Gina, chicken parm dripping with red sauce and cheese. From Zhariana, a mouthwatering barbecue chicken leg paired with green beans. From Cody K, mini pizzas made to bite into again and again.

And from Arabella, a ridiculously decadent cake with cupcakes and candy to celebrate her brothers 18th birthday.

Culinary arts instructor Julie Harrington can only savor from the @FLTCC_Culinary account these days, as coronavirus-forced separation is the golden rule for teachers and students.

Im used to eating these foods all the time. A lot of times, its my dinner or my snack, Harrington said. Now, I have to cook all by myself. And Im sick of doing dishes.

Last year, Harrington and others at FLTCC were encouraged to use social media and in this case, Twitter. At first, Harrington wasnt a fan ordinarily she prefers to be offscreen but she said she follows the rules.

And now, with students learning from home since March and more laptop learning until at least May 15, social media has helped provide a fun way to help the kids continue to hone their kitchen chops, but also to stay in touch and be happy and active.

I fell in love, Harrington said. It connects us with the community and maybe future students.

The Finger Lakes Technical and Career Center is a hands-on, rigorous 11th- and 12th-grade learning center that is part of Wayne Finger Lakes BOCES.

Students in the culinary arts program learn more than cooking, a lot more.

Theculinary arts program is a food service training program that covers many careers and learning opportunities for students, said Harrington, who is joined in the classroom by teaching assistant Amanda Venuti. The students learn the theory behind cooking techniques, business practices, 21st-century skills and communication.

The 28 students in the program come from 10 school districts, from Dundee to Victor, and are set up in brigade positions soup, salad, a la carte, entre, sandwiches and cleanup.

The senior students the senior brigade create staff lunch two days a week. They also do student sales and catering.

Members of the junior brigade, who do the same classroom activities, set up to support dishes, floors, food storage, and basic sanitation of the entire kitchen. The juniors also work with food and create many items for student food sales and prepping for the seniors.

They learn a great life skill and, Harrington said joking, how to throw a great party.

Its about how to get through life, Harrington said.

Of course, that was then, and this, the coronavirus pandemic, is now.

The jobs the kids are learning to do are tied to restaurants that are now closed to gatherings and struggling to get by on curbside and takeout services. Many of the cooks, bartenders, servers and others out of work so suddenly wonder how long their circumstances will last.

Meanwhile, those with jobs, such as workers in food prep in nursing homes and hospitals and cafeteria and kitchen workers in schools, are doing amazing work in difficult times, Harrington said.

To say the food and beverage industry is in upheaval is an understatement, with no easy answers for those struggling without a paycheck and those hoping to somedaymakea living inthe industry.

The pandemic certainly doesnt make planning for the future any easier for anyone, including those who don't have it easy.

Preparing the programs Twitter menu is voluntary, as some of the kids do not have the food supplies at home that others have and some have to make use of food pantries in their communities, Harrington said. In fact, many of her students do the cooking at home for their families.

As the students themselves try to learn a skill and make sense of life in the pandemic, they text Harrington. In fact, they blow up my phone text, she said.

For Harrington a 2019 New York State Education of Excellence Award winner the adjustment is difficult, saying she misses the challenges and successes of students.

A hands-on program is difficult to run with a coronavirus-mandated hands-off approach. The next-best thing is Zoom, which on Thursday drew in many of her students and a chance to connect.

It was a good week, Harrington said. I miss everything about them. I get energy from them.

Harrington comes to education from the food industry. She cooked in restaurants from her teen years until her mid-20s before attending the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont and working at high-end restaurants afterward. Shes also worked at Meals on Wheels in Rochester I learned how to save the world, she said at senior living communities and catered.

When she was approached to teach, she scoffed at first.

I dont know ifI can do this. I dont even know if I like teenagers, Harrington said, laughing. What I learned is, I am a teenager.

And one with a pretty cool job, she said.

I like to be a people-connected chef, thats why I like teaching, Harrington said. I never thought Id be a teacher, but I love doing it. Its a really cool job. The school is a really cool place.

Lake House jobs

The Lake House on Canandaigua, the hotel formerly known as The Inn on the Lake and currently in development by the Sands family, is getting ready to hire in anticipation of opening later in the year.

Geneva native Kevin Kenyon has been named the new food and beverage director of the hotel operation.

After launching his career at a series of private clubs, he served as director of restaurants at the Ocean House in Westerly, Rhode Island, and director of outlets at The Houstonian in Houston, Texas.

His personal interests include staying active through golfing, kayaking, cooking and spending time with friends and family.

I acquired a passion for hospitality at a young age, said Kenyon in a prepared statement. In my new role at The Lake House, I am thrilled to help craft the hotels culinary programming by drawing from my experience in previous roles. Working in tandem with our executive chef, we aim to bring new offerings to the area and elevate the region as a gastronomic destination in the state of New York and beyond.

Kenyon is going to need some help.

A career fair is scheduled for Thursday, April 23, via Indeed Events and will focus on staffing operational positions.

Positions include full- and part-time servers, bussers, and bartenders for the Sand Bar the first building on the campus planning to open this year. Also needed are people for full- and part-time cooks for the restaurant, full- and part-time executive stewards, full- and part-time banquet servers, a full-time senior maintenance engineer and part-time valet attendants.

To RSVP for the virtual career fair or learn more details, visit: events.indeed.com/event/40636.

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Eat, Drink and Be Murphy: Eat, tweet, love: Hands-on culinary arts in hands-off world - MPNnow.com

Have our technology and cell phones that weve shrugged off perhaps been saving some of our lives? Are social distancing and cleanliness a new spiritual way or a modest cure to a new way of living?

There are many films that have scripted similar narratives of these strange times, like The Seventh Seal (1957), The Andromeda Strain (1971), Outbreak (1995), "12 Monkeys (1995)," Blindness (2008),Contagion (2011), World War Z (2013). All films that hopefully keep you busy at home, yet these same films that entertained us.

What would we do if our families are touched as in these fictional depictions and fall ill? What could we do? Should we grow our own food before the cost of a head of lettuce may rise in price to $10.

Well, there is no question we should wear our masks, stay clean and try our absolute best to heal at home.

Yet these times seem to be an eerie reminder of the 1918 Pandemic, of what was called the Spanish flu.

To what degree have we forgotten or remembered the influenza of 1918-1920? That was ironically affecting the youth instead of the old and weary, as this virus seems to prey upon the weak.

They say that it must be different because in those days, plumbing wasnt in every house as it is in these days. Should we continue to think in the context of Cleanliness is next to Godliness and that cleanliness and social distancing are the best ways to prepare, and should that be all were told to do?

I think social distancing is one of the best answers we have to control spread. But indulge me and let us dig deeper.

In Madera, a small town that is growing, we might have the benefit of not being a crowded city like New York, whose citizens unfortunately must worry that social distancing must be more difficult due to the population and infrastructure of living.

Some Madera folks who have experienced the COVID-19 illness have recuperated, yet wonder in one way or another: How do we socially and pragmatically mitigate these complex medical and economic concerns? The public may be unaware of how everything might work in the tiers of political influence and authority. Yet how does our medical vs. economic system connect to function fairly under our democracy to service our public needs?

Sara Bosse, Madera Countys health director, is doing a great job in preparing for a future with COVID-19. She is pushing for more money to pay for testing in our jurisdiction.

She also praises the Madera County Sheriffs department, and other law enforcement agncies for volunteering in Mutual Aid and Just In Time Training (JIT), and doing an exceptional job in contact tracing and informing our public which has helped control the disease in our location.

Yet there have been some varying opinions from the public, that also should have light shed on them.

There was a story about one husband who was scolded by a doctor for going to the hospital in Fresno wishing to maintain social distance from his wife and child. Due to this doctorsscolding, the anonymous man left Fresno and came to a Madera hospital to get tested.

His narrative of what the sensations of the disease felt like was likened to the feeling of drowning. For a person who personally wanted to be an officer, I might be biased,but have always found myself proud of officers in Madera. I have never met more exceptional people in law enforcement. They seem to be well versed in common sense, humanity and empathy.

For me, personally, as long as officers here at the core are remembering and hopefully reminded to be kind and selfless above all, and as long as officers male and female are looking after our daughters first and foremost as much as possibly fit. Then Im on their team and believe in our community doing great works for the big picture.

However, this is a time where authorities who are employed to assist its public also should worry about themselves or worry about doing great works. I think keeping our words to each other intimately in duty to our souls before our Hippocratic oaths and to the law enforcement oath in honor is important. But can this be a time where we should up the standard of caring for kindness?

Caring for kindness could be an added addition perhaps to all public service oaths taken by public officials protected by the constitution as a new standard, for more justice than the ones before that predate to Hammurabi before we called it, the Golden Rule:

In everything, do onto others as you would have done to you. Matthew 7:12

Wouldnt that be the best reform to any democracy that could come out of COVID-19? For arent those ideals the essence if not the entire underlying aspirations of why Law exists. To try to ensure we are kind, fair and just to each other as we wish to be to ourselves. Is it not the quintessential way to exist as it relates to interpersonal relations with the public in mind?

How can we care for others with social distancing being of precedence, one might ask.

In summary, you do so by empathy trying to remember communication is the antidote to all suffering, while recognizing empathy in action is caring to help someone beside ourselves.

To text that person back or respond to that phone call. There are ways to care and be as gossamer, without the need to touch. For there are other ways to touch others, with your words, heart, and mind. Have you forgotten that your mind is the most sensual organ in your bodies?

It is the one that is in charge of all else, and its the vessel that can trample all over our peace if we do not take a moment to express gratitude. Therefore, in this socialized appreciation for cleanliness, let usnot forget to clean our words, thoughts, hearts and minds, as well as keeping our bodies clean.

Can we try to be grateful to the duty of simply cleaning our own homes? Washing our dishes, cleaning our counters and floors a day out of the week? Appreciate that you have lived without knowing hunger or oppression in a time where an invisible entity, like a virus wears a crown above us all perhaps only to remind us.

We are not different than any of COVID 19s ill subjects. That the virus doesnt choose you based on your nationality, class, creed or kind. Yet this invisible entity is here to perhaps ask us:

Have you ever cared enough about what it must have felt like for others, whove lived under oppression, injustice, and pain?

To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

Confucius

No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted.

Aesop

M. K. Salah-Smith is an artist, journalist, and essayist who lives in Madera.

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Opinion: How the Heart of California has responded and may yet respond to the Coronavirus - The Madera Tribune