Tuesday, March 24, 2020

Duluth Artists, Entrepreneurs Stepping Up and Other Stories of People Helping People

GOOD DEEDS DEPT.
This is a mashup of recent items of note in response to the pandemic.

Downtown Duluth Art Walk Goes Virtual
OK, so we're all keeping a healthy social distance from one another because of this strangest spring of our lives. And I will admit that I'm already missing my usual usual haunts--The Duluth Public Library, various Twin Ports Arts happenings and lunches with friends. Nevertheless, there is much good happening.

This Friday evening there will be a Virtual DDAW. Learn more here at the Facebook event page.
https://www.facebook.com/events/478387489542144/

Zenith Bookstore has closed its doors temporarily but they're still open for business. If your access to reading material is frustrated by our libraries being closed (I think that is half my social life shut down there) you can still order books from Zenith via email: books@zenithbookstore.com or by phone: (218) 606-1777. What they don't have in stock they can get for you, or recommend things in your area of interest. BEST OF ALL, you can have contact-free curbside pickup between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Mondays thru Saturdays.

Independent bookstores support core values of community, creativity, convening, civility, and contact. They provide a place to connect with like-minded individuals and to feel recognized in a world where we often feel like just another face in the crowd, a safe haven of comfort in our ever more fast-paced world.

Visit their website for more offers and information about future readings, book signings and other author events.  https://zenithbookstore.com/
Why Bookstores Matter
Why It's Important to Have Community Bookstores
You can read more about Zenith Bookstore here.

Free Digital Marketing Help for Local Businesses
Social Media Specialist Daisy Quaker is offering to help businesses that are not online or are struggling with where to start. Here's Daisy's message:

Building an online presence for any business is more important than ever before. Thus, I'm donating an hour of my time for each business for free. Think of it like a drive-thru clinic. I'll figure out what your challenges are, giving you some guidance and help you get set up on any platform as needed. To take advantage of this offer, any business owner can sign up for a time slot on my calendar, we’ll hop on a call, and I’ll help them free of charge.

I can help with: Google My Business Setup, Facebook Business Page Set up, a guide to free online resources for your business (e.g., tying to figure out how to create online videos? Create content? Email? I can give ideas, a tutorial or share resources). It's open-ended because I'd like to give help that is specific and actionable to the business. Business owners can book a time here: https://www.hiredaisy.com/free-business-help/

Here's Something I Saw on FB
Lucie Amundsen, wrote an opinion piece for our local newspaper in which she said, “Our caring can be this crisis’s silver lining.” She exhorted people to commit compassionate acts in the community as a way of coping with coronavirus. “Nothing combats fear and anxiety like action. Do something. Do that thing you’re good at and share it up and down your street.”

And Here's A New Cottage Industry: Sewing Face Masks 
Marilyn French 
I saw this on Facebook, too, a photo of Marilyn French sewing face masks for the COVID-19 pandemic up at Rocky Wall Studio craft room in Silver Bay up on the North Shore. She's doing this as part of a region-wide effort coordinated by Hannah Johnson Fabrics and Sewing Studio of Duluth here.

Nelson, who posted one of these photos on FB, has been a longtime board member for the Armory Arts & Music Center and a major supporter of all things Dylan. I asked for a photo, and he suggested working a reference to Masked & Anonymous into this story. Not really hard to do.

Are you hearing stories of good deeds being done? Share them here in the comments.

Related Links
Eye-Opening Slideshow Shows Progress of the Pandemic from Beginning of the Year
Real-Time Map of the Spread of COVID-19 (Sobering)

2 comments:

LEWagner said...

IF those statistics are all real, that real-time map is certainly sobering.
I have a real hard time believing that people who are in decent physical shape are suddenly getting the virus and dying from only "the virus".
I have an easier time believing that the deaths of people who are already in poor shape are being attributed to "the virus", and that is for an agenda of locking down and bankrupting millions, probably billions of people world-wide so the 1% can profit (foolishly thinking they'll be able to take it with them when they go).
"There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” ~ Mark Twain
And in the meanwhile, 28,000 people die of hunger per day, and the world's governments and most people blithely ignore that.

Daisy said...

This is wonderful, Ed. love how the community is rallying together right now. It's been cool to see how creative and helpful we can all get in stressful times! Thank you for writing about my effort!

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