Here are a few links for resources that might be helpful in these times of pandemic, including a September 2nd, 2020 COVID-19 online event and an interesting article about the controversial recent change in CDC COVID-19 testing guidance for asymptomatic persons.

Covid-19 Testing & Prevention

–  DeKalb County Health Department (https://www.dekalbhealth.net/)

   COVID-19 page https://www.dekalbhealth.net/covid-19

–  Georgia Department of Public Health (https://dph.georgia.gov/)

   Coronavirus (COVID-19)  https://dph.georgia.gov/health-topics/coronavirus-covid-19

   COVID-19 Testing in Georgia https://dph.georgia.gov/covidtesting

–  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (https://www.cdc.gov/)

   Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html  

–  Emory University (https://www.emory.edu/)

   COVID-19 https://www.emory.edu/coronavirus/

   COVID -19 Updates – Public http://www.emory.edu/coronavirus/public/index.html

   YouTube Channel – COVID-19 Videos https://www.youtube.com/EmoryUniversity

–  Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)Network (https://jamanetwork.com/)

   JAMA Network (COVID-19 Updates) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4p6bEngiRCN7TyTxZVJ3OQ  

–  On Wednesday, September 2nd from 8:00-11:00 am Gwinnett Cares will offer a must-see online healthcare summit designed to help the Gwinnett community better navigate through COVID-19. This is the perfect opportunity for Gwinnettians to get fact-based information that will dispel the many myths about what best practices are and clarify what we NEED to be doing to help minimize, as best we can, the impact of COVID-19 on our daily lives.

    The summit will be presented in three key educational segments:

8:00 -9:00 am              FOR A HEALTHIER GWINNETT

9:00-10:00 am             BUSINESS CONTINUITY THROUGH COVID-19

10:00 – 11:00 am         WHAT WE ALL NEED TO KNOW

     To register and participate in one or all of these segments, go to https://www.eventbrite.com/e/117899886735

SOURCE:  A member of our group who volunteers in administering Covid-19 tests.

–  CDC defends controversial new guidance for coronavirus testing: ‘Everyone who wants a test does not necessarily need a test.’  Will Feuer,CNBC; Aug 27 2020.  https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/27/cdc-defends-controversial-new-guidance-for-coronavirus-testing.html

Food and Housing

–  Community Assistance Center https://www.ourcac.org/

CAC helps residents of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody facing emergency situations meet the basic needs of food, shelter and clothing. CAC assists individuals and families experiencing unexpected financial crisis from situations such as a job loss or other reduction of income, illness, medical emergency, divorce or catastrophic situations such as fire or flood.  See also: Community Partners Grant More than $1M for COVID Relief https://www.ourcac.org/2020/08/01/grants/ .

–  Toco Hills Alliance https://tocohillsalliance.org/

Toco Hills Community Alliance was founded in 1998 by the community of faith as a non-profit organization that provides emergency assistance to our neighbors.  The organization became a qualified 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and has expanded its service area in the northeast Atlanta area.  We currently serve a 9 ZIP code area providing emergency food supplies…. and support for individuals and families living in our service area (Dekalb County for food; 9 zip code area: 30030, 30032, 30033, 30319, 30324, 30329, 30340, 30341, 30345)–including those experiencing homelessness or veterans who are without sufficient food for themselves or their families.

–  Atlanta Community Food Bank https://www.acfb.org/

The Food Bank utilizes more than 1,700 volunteers a month, over 150 staff members, a large fleet of trucks and a 129,000 square-foot facility to procure and distribute food and grocery items received from hundreds of donors.  Our donors include manufacturers, wholesalers, retailers, brokers, restaurants, food drives, gardens and individuals. The product is easily accessed by our partner agencies.  They place their orders online and arrange for pick up or delivery.  Once the food arrives at the agency, it is provided to families and individuals in need.

…Every year, we work with more than 600 nonprofit partners—including food pantries, community kitchens, childcare centers, night shelters and senior centers—to distribute over 60 million meals to more than 755,000 people in 29 counties across metro Atlanta and north Georgia.

Bhumisparsha – Touching the Earth global initiative launched by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche to remember Buddha in these times of pandemic may provide inspiration if you are feeling discouraged. Learn more at https://www.siddharthasintent.org/resources/features/bhumisparsha-touching-the-earth/

Here is a quote I found especially helpful from the website:

Right at this very moment, I am certain there are hundreds of thousands if not millions doing something good out of the kindness of their hearts – saving a life, feeding a stranger, giving a seat on a bus to a disabled or elderly person, foregoing your favourite cappuccino to contribute to an effort to save an endangered species….

Even a fleeting, mundane feeling of empathy for someone else’s pain may not seem like a big deal. But we don’t realize that’s what actually runs the world. Without that basic kindness and empathy at the very core of our nature, we couldn’t even live together.

 If you want, you can become part of the global project and say Buddha mantras– Om Muni Muni Mahamuni Sva Ha –  to contribute to the worldwide accumulation.