Page 13 - Communities Respond to COVID-19

Mountain View Cohousing Community, CA, USA

We have a volunteer pandemic task force that is making recommendations to the community and
working to make the building work best for this situation (altering ventilation in some areas, leaving fans
on, making signs to leave certain windows on a certain amount for X long, adding whiteboards outside
common house rooms to indicate when they are available for use). We wear masks outside and
maintain a 6' distance. The Task Force is meeting this evening to make a reco on what kind of gatherings
are recommended (how many people at how much distance in what areas) - as we try to get our social
mojo going again. Common meals were discontinued in late March. Our Interiors team (with the help
of the task force) has set up a list of areas that are sanitized daily by volunteers. Some are helping those
at more risk by doing their grocery shopping, or asking around to see if anyone else needs something so
fewer people need to go out. Socially, our biz and team meetings have gone to Zoom (with a purchased
subscription to allow more than 40 minutes time).

Patricia Boomer

Jesus Christians, Victoria, Australia

We divided our house and garage into two separate areas, so that elderly and vulnerable people are
isolated (even now) from those who have had more contact with the outside world. Because of our
close environment, we assume that if one of us gets the virus, all those on their side of the barrier would
eventually get it too.

Those who are younger and healthier kept themselves busy by sewing about 2,000 surgical masks. They
would take them out to places where there were elderly people, or to shopkeepers, and offer them for
free. Our immediate vicinity was noticeably more protected as a result, and one clinic said there have
been no infections here so far.

We also set up two rooms for new arrivals or anyone who has been away for a while, to be cared for
during a two week quarantine after arriving.
We have continue to reach out to the world through producing videos, and promoting them on social
media. We have been able to reach hundreds of thousands of people without even leaving the house.
Here is a link to a post I made which gives an idea of how this can be done. https://bit.ly/2WcRrGh"

Dave

The Commons on the Alameda, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Sadly we discontinued our nearly 30 year tradition of twice weekly community dinners. Our Common
House is closed to all activity, though we’ve used this time to replaster and repaint. Our guest rooms are
closed to visitors in case we need them to isolate a resident. We are concerned about our annual budget
because we rely on income from our guest rooms. Most meetings are conducted on Zoom though the
Book Club and Singing Group meet in person, outdoors spaced apart. We have a difficult time staying
apart. A noon time outdoor group meditation was created as a response. Since then an occasional
outdoor happy hour springs up or more organized art events occur, all outdoors with appropriate social
distancing and mask wearing. Our spring is just turning to summer so it’s very pleasant to be outdoors.
One member offers a Feldenkrais class via zoom. We still conduct our monthly workday doing grounds