To our volunteers, staff, donors, community members, and partners,

We wanted to reach out to you all personally to share what SPEC is doing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have taken steps to adapt our day to day work and programming to ensure the safety of our staff and volunteers. We are actively adjusting our operations in the short (and possibly long term). Some of those changes include transitioning our monthly team meetings and programs, such as Master Recycler, to online platforms, and our staff are continuing their work remotely. We are exploring innovative ways to continue our programming to support children, teachers, school communities in general, as well as community champions, our elders, and the general public as a whole. We will keep you posted as we make progress on this.

Our community is a resilient one! We are uplifted by the demonstrations of collective action to solve problems, from examples of kindness to the commitment and dedication of front-line problem solvers and health workers; to the global community sharing knowledge, resources and a sense of solidarity. Our collective experience during this time will demonstrate what is possible when governments, local businesses, non-profits, and individuals work together with urgency for a common goal.

As we take precautions to practice social distancing, please take a moment to enjoy some fresh air and slow down in nature. If you are able, get outside and enjoy the benefits that come with time spent in nature. Here are some ideas to get you started:

• Social Distancing through Nature
• Bird Watching

This is a difficult time and if you are still able to support a local business or charity we encourage you to do so! Local businesses are deeply impacted by the shutdowns and there are many that are offering takeout or delivery services or zero waste refills.

We understand it’s a difficult time for our community, but please know we are all in this together! Be safe, be kind and let’s find time to check in on others that might be struggling.  

We hope to find new ways to engage and connect with our community during this uncertain time.  

Sincerely,
Kate Menzies – Board Chair & Oliver Lane – Executive Director