re·sil·ience /rəˈzilyəns/ the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness Monterey County Free Libraries — The heart of a community What can a library do during a pandemic? During the COVID-19 crisis, Monterey County Free Libraries found a number of unique ways to support the community. The libraries served as cafeterias, giving out meals and activity bags to those hurting in the community. Librarians used the 3D printers to make PPE for our healthcare workers; two branches became permanent COVID-19 testing sites. During the Dolan and Carmel wildfires, many of the branches transformed into evacuation shelters. In addition to all these opportunities to support our community, Monterey County Free Libraries set up charging stations for the homeless, boosted the available hours for students needing online tutoring and provided internet hotspots and Chromebooks for families in need. It was a year unlike any other, but they were honored to find new ways to support their communities. MY Museum — Thinking outside of the box What do you do when you are a children’s museum, but children can no longer visit? You bring the museum to them! It took some outside-the-box thinking, but ultimately MY Museum fit some important lessons inside a box it could deliver to children in need. MY Museum recognized the need for children to continue to safely play and learn while cooped up at home during this pandemic, so they creatively did their part to find a solution — turning their closed museum into what looked like a distribution center and delivering more than 5,000 Play Kits and Play Boxes to families in need. They partnered with First 5 Monterey County to deliver 2,500 Shelter and PLAY Family Fun Boxes that included everything from recipe ideas and sidewalk chalk to mask-making activities and other crafts ideas. They also partnered with The Transportation Agency of Monterey County to deliver 2,500 “Play to Learn” kits, which found fun ways to teach road safety, helped kids decorate their bikes, and even included a wooden car craft kit. MEarth — Sowing seeds for a better tomorrow Before the pandemic, MEarth provided a unique outdoor and culinary classroom for neighboring Carmel Middle School students with its 10 acres of grasslands, ponds, bee gardens, monarch butterfly habitats, edible organic gardens and much more. But when in-person classes shut down, MEarth decided to ramp up, turning 100 percent of its focus toward growing food, becoming a full-fledged farm dedicated to providing food for those in our community who need it the most. MEarth teamed up with the student-led Carmel High School volunteer organization called “This Club Saves Lives” to assemble 150 mixed bags of groceries and home goods each week and distribute them through The Food Bank for Monterey County to local families and seniors. Many more helping hands donated seed, soil, wood chips, tools and garden boxes. Even when MEarth wasn’t able to directly impact the youth it loves to teach, it found an inventive way to plant the seed for a better tomorrow. Youth Arts Collective (YAC) — Mentoring through art How important are the arts for high schoolers? Former Congressman Sam Farr says, “I think there should be a YAC in every city in America.” The stats back Farr up. Every Youth Arts Collective member has gone on to graduate high school, and a staggering 95% go on to university, college or art school — many on scholarship. How does an after-school art studio survive during a pandemic? Just one day after Monterey County was issued Shelter-in-Place orders, the Youth Arts Collective was back up and running online. YAC mentors immediately reached out to their high school and college artists, delivered art supplies and quickly developed a Zoom call schedule multiple times a week. The mentorship program creates an environment — both physically and virtually — where students believe in themselves, reap the rewards of creative risk and belong to a community that supports them, no matter how challenging the circumstances might be for an aspiring artist. It’s hard to argue with Congressman Farr. Carmel Youth Center — Future leaders in training When Bing Crosby founded the Carmel Youth Center in 1949, it was run by a teen-aged Board of Directors. Just two years ago, when the Carmel Youth Center needed an Administrative Director, a group of elementary and middle schoolers interviewed candidates and picked the two finalists for the role. The Carmel Youth Center has always found unique ways to develop leadership skills with its kids, and this pandemic was no different. This caring group of kids tapped into their ethics, empathy and compassion by pledging to perform acts of service every month of 2020, ranging from creating care and hygiene kits for the homeless and veterans, writing and delivering valentines for seniors and hosting free virtual mental health events. This summer, the Carmel Youth Center will host its first #LEAD Summer Camp, where youth can grow their confidence and leadership skills. 2020 Annual Report 5 4 Remember to appreciate your resilience, make good use of your nourishing connections and don’t ever be afraid to seek additional support. Knowledge really is power. — DR. SUSAN SWICK, PHYSICIAN IN CHIEF, OHANA, MONTAGE HEALTH FOUNDATION Resilience
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