Dear Referral agencies and ERCSA supporters,
I hope you and your families remain safe and well as we work together through these unprecedented times. We recognise that the current envi ronment means that as a community organisation we have to continue to evolve and adapt our ways of supporting the children and families we serve.
Today I want to share with you some additional steps we are taking in response to COVID-19, so we maintain a safe workplace while continuing to serve our volunteers, participants & families. In light of the unprecedented situation we all find ourselves in, we have made the deci sion to cancel all programs and activities until April 30.
To this end, the April Teen Girls Program (21-23 April) has been cancelled.
This has been a difficult decision, but ultimately the health and safety of our volunteers, participants and their families, is paramount. At this stage, it is still unclear what the implications will be for the rest of our 2020 program calendar. We will try to keep you updated as the situation progresses. Like a lot of you, we are still working through the full implications of COVID-19.
The ERCSA office is still operating as normal. If this is to change we will ensure that we do our very best to inform you of any new arrangements. Rest assured we will find alternative ways of maintaining our sense of community and connection, as well as ways in which we can continue to support our participants and their families during this time.
For now, I’ll leave you with these words from the Director-General of the World Health Organisation:
"Crises like this tend to bring out the best and worst in humanity. Like me, I’m sure you have been touched by the videos of people applauding health workers from their balconies, or the stories of people offering to do grocery shopping for older people in their community. This amazing spirit of human solidarity must become even more infectious than the virus itself. Although we may have to be physically apart from each other for a while, we can come together in ways we never have before."
We are all in this together, please take any measures to keep yourself, family and those around you safe.
Take care, Jessica Alikaris ERCSA Executive Officer