I attended a Shareable event in Oakland last summer. I was talking to a guy before the event, which I volunteered from. He was so friendly, humble, down home. He also, I found out at the end of our conversation, the co-founder and executive director of Shareable. I deeply appreciated him and other connections I made. Here is an email I received today with great resources:

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What a difference a week makes. Last week we encouraged everyone to wash their hands to slow the spread of coronavirus, and while that’s still good advice, now many of us have been asked, if not required, to stay at home and at a distance from others. While this is necessary to save lives, and is an act of solidarity in itself, the nearly universal call for “social distancing” for medical purposes left open its broader cultural meaning. In other words, what stance should one take during social distancing? Should one hunker down alone and just wait this out? Or something else?

Many have filled this void with positive social action. The Shareable stance is about physical distance and social solidarity. Read Shareable regular Robert Raymond’s feature story about the large and rapidly growing wave of grassroot action catalyzed by the Coronavirus. Robert shares some inspiring stories of people helping people, but this is just the tip of the iceberg. So much is happening on the ground! Have a story to share? Please reply to this email.

Understandably, virtually all in-person events in our community have been canceled, but many virtual events have sprung up in their place including one Shareable is hosting next week. Join us on March 24 at 1:00pm Central (6:00pm UTC) for a webinar on Community Hubs as Coronavirus Response Strategy.

We also put together a list of books to read while quarantined. Take a look and let us know what you’re reading. Ping us at info@shareable.net or on Facebook or Twitter.

Stay well, and reach out to friends, family, and neighbors to give comfort and care,

-Team Shareable