I'm a Grandma and a teacher.  I miss my grandkids a lot (as I’m sure so many grandparents do here in San Diego County)! Since the schools have shut down and we are all staying home and isolating, I started sending my grandkids videos of me reading poems to them, about 3-4 new poems a week.

We are a family that’s very much into dance, fitness and a healthy lifestyle. So, I’m also recording myself doing Kidz Bop Dance Along songs so we can all work out together. 

My idea is to share whatever you love and connect with your family via video. You can sing, walk, crochet…whatever! It doesn’t have to be long, whatever can be done and easily sent on a phone.

Houses of Worship across the County have implemented new and creative methods to stay spiritually connected with members and provide hope and inspiration while honoring the public health order to limit gatherings.

Total Deliverance Worship Center Senior Pastor Dr. William A. Benson shows us how he’s staying #VirtuallyFaithful with his congregation by live streaming worship services and Bible Study.

If you have words of wisdom or photos you would like to share with the community about how you are staying Virtually Faithful, please send them to COVID-CBO-FAITH@sdcounty.ca.gov. We will display them on our website at www.sandiegocounty.gov/covidfaithbased.

The caregivers of The Elizabeth Hospice help their patients live each moment to the fullest by providing experiences that bring meaning and joy to their life.

When Sergio, a hospice patient in his early 30s, shared his wish to marry his girlfriend, the clinical care team quickly moved into action. And while the guidelines established to keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic have compelled many people to reschedule their wedding, postponement wasn’t an option for this couple given Sergio’s life-limiting medical condition.

Maggie Effinger, medical social worker for The Elizabeth Hospice, assumed the role of wedding coordinator. She assisted the bride, Lupita, in identifying all the things she needed – including a wedding dress and wedding rings, worked with team members to secure flowers and food, and enlisted John Portenga, a chaplain with The Elizabeth Hospice, to perform the ceremony. Even though members of The Elizabeth Hospice’s care team weren’t able to attend the event because of social distancing restrictions, they donated the funds to cover the expenses.

“At The Elizabeth Hospice, our goal is to do everything possible to make our patient’s dreams come true,” said Maggie. “Sergio and Lupita’s wedding was a marvelous event. What an honor it was for us to fulfill Sergio’s wish to marry the love of his life!”

The Elizabeth Hospice, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, provides medical, emotional and spiritual support to children and adults facing the challenges associated with a life-threatening illness, and restores hope to grieving children and adults who are feeling lost and alone. Since 1978, the organization has touched the lives of more than 100,000 people in San Diego County and Southwest Riverside County.