Palm Sunday is coming. What’s a church — closed for the pandemic — to do?
Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal will make it a “drive by.”
Just drive to the front of the church, receive a priestly blessing, and listen to bagpipes!
Of course, like every other religious institution, CHT is doing a lot more during the pandemic.
For example, they put donation bins in the back door servery. Anyone can donate food. Volunteers bring it to the Gillespie Center, and 2 Bridgeport organizations: King’s Pantry (for elderly patrons, veterans, people with disabilities and the homeless) and Feed My Sheep, which helps over 80 families.
The church also provides meals for Westport police, fire and EMS personnel.
Donations can be made online too (the church buys the groceries). Click here for details.
In addition, Christ & Holy Trinity offers a short Facebook Live prayer service every night at 7. The men’s group meets every week for a spiritual discussion on Zoom. An abbreviated virtual church service is livestreamed every Sunday. Click here for details.
Westporter Lisa Power helped put together a meal train to help feed the overworked and often hungry Norwalk Hospital staff.
Lunch and dinner slots are connected with specific units. Each unit has 20 or so staff members.
The request is for individually packaged or wrapped meals (no large food trays that require sharing). Meals can be donated by individuals, families, groups or businesses. Call your favorite restaurant or deli to order.
(A&S Fine Foods in Westport has done a great job delivering food so far, Lisa says.)
Click here to sign up for the meal train. For questions and more information — including restaurants and delis that would like to be listed on the mail train — email lapower2014@gmail.com.
When COVID-19 forced the closure of gyms and fitness centers, thousands of Westporters lost their daily routines. And scores of Westporters lost all their income.
Jessica Newshel is trying to help.
The Westport resident and Pilates instructor has launched Fit Finder CT. The free service helps people find accredited trainers who can work with them one-on-one or in small virtual groups, on the platform of their choice. Workouts are tailored to each client’s specific needs and ability, and the equipment (or lack of) available at home. There are many types of trainers, for all ages. Click here for the FitFinder website.
Yoga instructors are also listed on FitFinder. (Photo/Frances Hoyte)
Westonite Elan Wischkin is the founder of The Giving Hemp, a craft CBD company.
He’s put 18 CBD “Giving Boxes” on his website, for $10. That money will be donated to a GoFundMe providing ventilators for Connecticut COVID-19 patients.
The box can be sent to someone as a gift, to help ease stress and anxiety. Each includes a bottle of CBD tincture, a dark chocolate with 15mg CBD, and a poem by Kahlil Gibran: “On Giving.”
Elan will also donate 20% of sales all month to the GoFundMe for ventilators. Click here for the Giving Boxes, and the Giving Hemp website.
The Fairfield County Story Lab was all set to celebrate 1 year as a gathering place for local writers.
Instead, all gathering places are closed.
But founder Carol Dannhauser has the “write” stuff. From now through the end of the coronavirus quarantine, she’s opening up all events — free — to any writer in Connecticut, Westchester and New York City.
There are sessions for freelancers, memoirists, and people looking for agents; virtual happy hours, game nights — you name it. For details, email info@fcstorylab.com.
And finally, just another reminder:
I am very familiar with Elan’s products . They really help my arthritis. He also has a product to help relieve stress and anxiety which many of us could benefit from now. Thanks Dan and thanks Elan.