Re: Is the sky falling?
It is easy to point fingers and blame after the fact, especially for me, but at this point all we can do is make the best of it. Some of us are lucky, we had depression era parents, and so planning ahead comes second nature. I thought this was a likely scenario 6 weeks ago, and have been stocking up whenever some staple or other appeared on sale. But in order to combat the mental health issues among the rest of the population maybe we can see what we can do to help out. People don't get crazy as long as they don't think they are hung out to dry or think they are going to starve. Here are some ideas, and I am betting many of you can come up with more.
Besides offering to bring groceries to your neighbors who are high risk and shouldn't make a run to the store, offer to bring back feed, trace mineral, or whatever if you are going to the elevator.
If you have expertise, offer to help feed, milk, whatever in case someone loses a helper or is sick.
Offer to take their truck to the service station for fuel. (Use disposable gloves on pump handles, be careful not to contaminate steering wheel afterwards.)
When you see evidence of a small business trying to make the best of it, use their services if you can. Two that I admired recently were the little restaurant that advertised on Facebook that they would have St Pats dinners available in an improvised drive through lane, corned beef and cabbage etc, 2 sizes, $11 and $14. If they weren't in Indiana I'd take them up on it.
Second one was a little theater, room only for about 50 people total, puts on great plays, has to close down a production, said ticket holders could get their money back, but could also have a password to view a video of the production on line. Or they would be grateful for donations to pay their employees. I donated, they are a great group of people.
A perfume making company in France is using their equipment to make hand sanitizer and giving it free to the hospitals.
If you have hourly employees that you have to furlough and that can't collect unemployment, consider spotting them a week or so's wages if you can afford it. If possible rearrange work so you have something for them to do after that. Some people won't qualify for any of the government rescue plans.
Just because there are a bunch of folks running around like headless chickens, does not mean we all have to. I vote for being prudent and being kind.