BABI COVID-19 Response Actions

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  BABI COVID-19 Response

BIBS AND BLANKETS INTERVENTIONAL 

BABI’s COVID-19 Response

COVID-19 changed the world, and the way we viewed and responded to our communities. Our lives changed and our communities were all affected like other organizations worldwide. The nature of our work changed drastically because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. After canceling our Annual BABI Village Leadership Awards, we started to use the blueprint that has been set before us to serve our Global Village. 

It is important to note that every citizen and organization is a partner in the fight to eradicate COVID-19 or any attack on our community that endangers the welfare and safety of our Village Members.  

BABI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the overall quality of life for families in Macon County and the Global Village. The Macon County Community Grassroots Task Force, a COVID-19 response task force that was established to coordinate community-wide efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. 

From the needs of our community members and from the actions of other organizations globally, we got inspired to response to our community's needs during this crisis. 

The MCCGTF developed to support an Authentic Collaborative Communication between all task forces and COVID-19 related activities from local community citizens, Tuskegee University, local government, churches, and community organizations along with the help of the youths guiding us through social media. 

The MCCGTF is comprised of 5 Programs:

• Food Repurposing 
•  Collaborative Community Communications
•  CEO- Community Educating Organizers Health Trainers 
•  BABI Virtual Footprint 
•  CDC Quarantined Realities 

In the process of helping to break the stigmas of coronavirus and assist our community members with informed and accurate best health practices we recognized that the need is great and the more grassroot support and training we had as a unified Village the better our chances of gaining control of our community. These programs are designed to bring holistic cultural awareness to the community to assist with public health crisis acknowledgement and remembrance of victims of COVID-19 in Macon County and the world. The safety and mental health of our citizens is very important. 

          Food Repurposing 

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching economic consequences beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it. As the SARS-CoV-2 virus has spread around the globe, concerns have shifted from supply-side manufacturing issues to decreased business in the services sector.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had far-reaching economic consequences beyond the spread of the disease itself and efforts to quarantine it. To assist families in need during this economic crisis which caused a dramatic increase in food insecurity nationwide. To support the immediate nutritional needs of our community, BABI continued its food distributions. The BABI Jessup Wagon Food Pantry continued to provide healthy food to low-income residents in Macon County with the efforts of Pastor Anthony C. Williams and Macon Cares food distribution which is led by Macon Means Food Distribution Roundtable. In 2016 Mr. Umar-Royce Martin a Disable Army Veteran and Mrs. Lennora-Muti’ah Pierrot a Mental Health First Aid Instructor developed the BABI Jessup Wagon Food Pantry to assist local Macon County residents with the food insecurities needs to our rural area citizens in the Black Belt Region of Macon County. Enhancing the quality and increasing the quantity of our food pantry distribution during COVID-19 pandemic is our continued goal.

   Collaborative Community Communications  

It is important to note that every organization is a partner in the fight to eradicate COVID-19 or any attack on our community that endangers the welfare and safety of our Village Members.  

BABI is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the overall quality of life for families in Macon County. The Macon County  Community Grassroots Task Force, a COVID-19 response task force that was established to coordinate community-wide efforts to mitigate the spread of the virus. The task force is comprised of local community members, Tuskegee University, local government, churches, and community organizations. 

  BABI Virtual Footprint    

Little was known about SARS-CoV-2 at the beginning of the pandemic. BABI has been reaching out to community organizations and sectors to address the need of PSA in the community.  As the virus progressed, BABI recognized that basic public health guidance for COVID-19 prevention were not being observed on a consistent basis and information was not being transferred to all the citizens in a timely manner. To help educate the public, BABI produced a series of public service announcements during the Census Campaign and has started on COVID-19 flyers and videos. 

  Up Coming Virtual Trainings

BABI’s Doula Virtual Classes were the wholistic approach to the addressing the effects of COVID-19 for families dealing with the birthing process. individuals and community. 

Mental Health First Aid Virtual Classes were the wholistic approach to addressing the Mental Health of the citizens.  

  CDC Quarantined Realities 

The CDC recommends home isolation for those who can safely isolate at home. As our local researchers have established that for our community many cannot. We must have spaces to quarantine and or isolate family members suffering from COVID in order to mitigate spread. As it is recommended that affected individuals be assigned to an isolation facility in the community.  Our County has no such facilities.  BABI needs funding to renovate available housing units as Quarantine and Isolation Homes.  

  CEO- COVID-19 Health Awareness Trainers 

CEO- Community Educating Organizers Health Trainers 

As we continue to witness changes during COVIDi19 pandemic, we need to gain the trust and value of our Village System. Honoring and respecting each community member as a resource was the first place BABI started. BABI’s Community Educating Organizers who use their influence as dedicated members of the community to address critical community health care needs, are the grassroot organizers who were already on the front line daily to insure community members were informed regarding needed resources which concerned them.  Each CEO will gain necessary information & knowledge of COVID-19 and share at the community level. Helping to break the stigmas of coronavirus and assist our community members with informed and accurate best health practices