After spending that first weekend during “social distancing”, wrestling with whether or not I should return to work early from a scheduled week of holidays, I returned to work on Wednesday and I immediately began connecting with all of my youth and their families.

Early the next week, I assembled and distributed care packages to seven youth and families that I have built relationships with through Youth Unlimited programming. In the care packages were food, craft supplies and a personalized birthday gift for each youth. Every year, we do an annual “Everybody Birthday” where we have a big birthday celebration for everyone at once! This party would have been during our COVID-19 closure. Some of our youth’s birthdays are coming up, and they are feeling very devastated about not being able to celebrate with their friends at this time; it was great to brighten everyone’s day!