Five Acts of Social Solidarity

• The Voice of the Village • 26 March – 2 April 2020 MONTECITO JOURNAL 41 Five Acts of Social Solidarity S ome credit to Émile Durkheim, the pioneering French Sociologist, with originating the concept of social solidarity which he defined as the “the interdependence between individuals and across groups.” In fact, the description served for Durkheim as a synonym for the normal healthy state of society, what holds society together, an essential tool for combating infectious diseases, particularly in the face of a worldwide pandemic. Best-selling novelist Martha Cooley, author of the national bestseller The Archivist and Thirty-Three Swoons, has been living in a tiny rural village in Italy as the pandemic has swept across that country. As we’ve seen around the world, and now here in the United States, the spread of the virus peaks in a particular city or area creating a spike and hotspot of illness. So many people require hospital care at once, some gravely ill, that doctors and nurses become overwhelmed by the sheer volume of care required. Some healthcare givers become ill as well. Much of our social solidarity and social distancing is designed to avoid illness ourselves but also to avert these peaks of illness that will make it difficult for us and others in our community to get adequate care. Despite hopes, wishes, and wild conjecture, there is no current cure, no treatment, or vaccine for Covid-19. As a result, patients can pass away due to many complicating illnesses. The only thing standing in the way of that is self-care and if you’re sick in the hospital the expert care of doctors and hospital equipment like ventilators.

In her correspondence with friends, Ms Cooley has eloquently and succinctly elaborated on the concept of social solidarity, establishing “Five Acts of Social Solidarity” as a way to best define our safe practices at this difficult time. In adapting the concept her hope is to show how the crisis can bring us together and show how our interdependence can be fortifying rather than distancing, an emotional embrace even if we can’t physically embrace each other at this time. What follows is an abridged version of some of her correspondences.

“So, the first act of solidarity is staying at home as much as possible and maintaining social distance to protect the vulnerable who can’t fend off the virus, to protect the elderly, to protect those with serious medical problems and to protect the healthcare workers themselves from burning out.

“Solidarity also means not going to the hospital without serious reasons to do so. Having possible symptoms of the virus does not necessarily mean having to be immediately hospitalized; it means calling your doctor for advice on next steps.

“Solidarity means not overburdening food stores and pharmacies. It means shopping and cooking mindfully.

“Solidarity means using your time at home usefully. It takes discipline to organize one’s time effectively when one is constrained by a crisis to stay inside. “And solidarity means staying in touch with your families, friends, and colleagues, offering and receiving comfort. And staying aware of and open-hearted toward those you don’t know, too.”

The spirit of Ms Cooley’s advice, while not a deep dive into the fine art of twenty second handwashing, provides a guide to avoid the kind of isolation and alienation that seems so difficult to avoid in our separation.

She adds that Italy’s flash-mob singing events – everyone opening their windows and singing together – have been remarkably moving and helpful as well. If your voice is strong and you have a few friends nearby, you might try that as well.

Her last piece of advice? “I would urge not getting into heated discussions about politics right now. Speaking for myself,” she notes, “I cannot afford the dissipation of energy that political rage causes I feel the important thing to do RIGHT NOW is focusing on taking care of the most vulnerable amongst us – which starts with taking care of yourselves. Because if you don’t, you can’t help anyone else.” •MJ survival, especially the vulnerable among us depend on our health care system, Cottage Hospital, Urgent Care Centers, and hospitals throughout the county.

One805 has grasped this turnaround faster than any other organization. They’ve already set up a monitored drop box to accept urgently needed unused masks, gloves, liquid hand sanitizers and protective medical clothing at 2000 State Street conveniently located in the Goodwin & Thyne Properties Building with curbside parking and drop off, complying with all the guidelines of social distancing. Residents can also mail their supplies to One805, Inc., 2000 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. They are one of the few organizations that can get these supplies directly in cooperation with the hospitals and first responders.

One805 has a lively and up-to-the-minute emergency feed that is well worth subscribing to and “liking” @One805sb on Twitter. Every community member who joins adds to the reach and power of the organization.

“If the last few years have taught us anything,” Angela adds, “this community knows how to rally in times of need.” Santa Barbara is already well schooled in the ways of social solidarity. One805 is also searching for empty residences to be used expressly for first responders who are concerned about limiting potential virus exposure to their family members. If you have an empty home or residence in Santa Barbara County, you can notify One805 by email info@one805.org.

It takes a moment to truly absorb the magnitude of the mission of One805. It is a singular mandate that other communities across the country are just catching on to. They’ve Made an Oath

It’s easy to think of the people who defend and care for us as superheroes, but it’s glib and simplistic to see them that way. They are everyday people with children and grandparents, with personal needs and childcare concerns who have literally taken an oath to serve and protect all of us.

In this cynical age where broken oaths and discarded promises abound, the commitment of first responders has remained unchanged. They take their oath with deadly seriousness, even when their own safety and health is at stake. Let that sink in beyond the clichés we’ve all grown up with and the importance and complexity of supporting our responders becomes eminently clear. Selflessness is their badge of honor. A willingness to dive into the fray is their call to duty. Hesitation, complaining are not within their job description.

Caring for people who care for us is a powerful message. One805’s mission has to be executed in lockstep with the responders themselves and coordinated throughout the county. Furthermore, these support materials and services are donated money-blind, equitably, throughout the county, from North to South County without distinction providing an equal opportunity safety net for first responders all over the county, everywhere including correctional facilities.

“All of the supplies will stay within our county,” Angela assures. “As of now, this is fluid, but we’re making sure Cottage Hospital is adequately stocked. Then we will move to the next location.”

As the wife of a long time highly specialized first responder, Angela knows the appropriate way to help men and women in a profession that prides itself on being stoic and having everything under control.

“We have three young children and being a family, I understand that the focus is on getting the job done,” she says. “They’re not focused on ‘what do I need.’ This has given me the unique ability to help and position One805 where it needs to be.” The organization is lean with only a few staff members, a few independent contractors.

One of the most far reaching and compelling aspects of the organization is its unique and remarkable advisory council comprised of the head of each fire department and sheriff’s department in Santa Barbara County, including the Chief of Police, the Sheriff, Montecito Fire Chief and so on.

Although One805 was sparked by the Kick Ash Bash, there’s a reason it’s changed structure and mission.

“Before it was run through the Firefighter’s Alliance and the Kick Ash Bash was an appreciation festival,” Angela explains. “We’re different. We have the mission of supporting our whole community in the County in an equitable fashion. We do not want to be another black-tie charity. Anybody can join and contribute. It’s only $25 to become a member.”

As the threat of the pandemic spreads, it’s no small feat to coordinate with hospitals and responders throughout the county. They’ve Been Training for This

“We learned on the debris flow. We know from experience these heroes are just selfless,” she recounts. “They are so focused on their job and what they’ve been given, they’re there. They’ve been training for this. They’ve already pledged an oath to serve and protect our community. So, in a lot of ways, this is business as usual for them. But this pandemic has never happened before. We have to be there to support them in every possible way.”

People learn about their first and second responders in a crisis. They take them for granted the rest of the time. This one is a major wake up to what the hospitals do for the community, especially as we see how much doctors and nurses throw themselves into treating and addressing this unpredictable virus. There seems to be a paradigm shift happening where people see the people who support them and help them. We have to have the social solidarity to help those who are helping us and who we’re depending on. One Love – One805

“The ‘One’ in One805 is key,” Angel concludes. “Sure, it’s one county, one area code but it’s really the whole ‘one love,’ ‘one together.’ That’s really important in our mission, we wa AGE OF SOCIAL SOLIDARITY (Continued from page 36)

breed, Brandi. After the outbreak, she also took in a cat named Kitty, with help from ASAP. Heller recommends that anyone interested in fostering or adopting a pet cat simply go to the group’s website and follow the links. “If you see one you like, you can go out and have an interview and take the animal home,” she says. “Their program has always been very proactive, and with what’s happening, they quickly ramped up and sent home 36 cats into foster care last Friday.”

Santa Barbara County maintains three animal shelters in Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria. While the Goleta shelter is for cats, the county is also trying to find homes for north county dogs in south county homes. “An effort is being made to ship north county dogs down to the Santa Barbara area,” Heller says. “It makes it a lot easier for folks down here to adopt. The goal is to keep these animals out of the shelters as quickly as possible.”

In case people are worried that animals might be vectors for the coronavirus, the good news is there is no evidence of that whatsoever. Whereas the virus has been proven to remain alive on hard surfaces, fur is too porous a surface for the virus to remain active on the surface of the hair. That said, Heller says that when she took her Sheltie home she took precautions. “When I got Brandi home, the first thing I did was immediately bathe her,” she says. “Why take a chance?” To adopt or foster a cat, contact ASAP at 805-683-3368 or visit www.asapcats. org.

To adopt or foster a dog, visit www. countyofsb.org/phd/animal/petsearch.sbc to see a list of available pets in Santa Barbara County.

If bunnies are your thing, visit Bunnies Urgently Needing Shelter at www. bunssb.org or call 805-683-0521 and leave a message. OTR (Continued from page 21)

Spring Baby Season Adds Urgency to Wildlife Rescue

Although for humans it might seem like life has come to a complete stop,

Gretchen Lieff and Dr. Jane Goodall

the cycle of life and rebirth in the natural world around us continues. This pattern is never more striking than during spring, however, which to wildlife rescue experts has another name: “Baby Season,” which is when mammals produce the bulk of their offspring. This period tends to be the busiest time for wildlife rescue because so many baby birds are falling from their nests and other young animals are often separated from their mothers.

“It’s our time of greatest need,” says Ariana Katovich, executive director of Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network (SBWCN). “Normally, we rely on hundreds of volunteers every year to rescue, transport, feed, and care for all these animals. Now, we need to respect CDC guidelines on social distancing, so our staff is basically ready to work as much as needed to keep up with the wild animals coming in.” According to Katovich, SBWCN is currently seeing nearly 20 animals per day. “We’re getting baby opossums, baby ducklings, baby squirrels, baby skunks, baby birds of all shapes and sizes – every spring baby you can think of,” she says. “We are going to be stretched really thin.”

SBWCN began in 1988 as a loose conglomerate of people caring for res

Baby birds rescued by Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network

cued wildlife in bathtubs and kitchen tables, says Katovich. “Over time, it evolved and now we have a center in the Goleta foothills where most of our animal care takes place. The baby bird room will have 150 baby birds at any given time,” she continues. “The baby birds have to be fed every 20 to 30 minutes from dawn to dusk, so it comes out to 5,000 feedings a day. It’s gratifying but hard work.” Montecito resident Gretchen Lieff serves on the SBWCN board of directors. “This is the time when wild animals need our support the most,” Lieff says. “There are babies falling out of nests and getting in trouble all over the place. The fact is we are in this pandemic and casting around for ways to be useful, and saving wildlife is such a hopeful act, it’s something positive we can all do together.”

Aside from donating to SBWCN, Lieff says Montecito residents should also know that now is a perfect time to put up owl boxes and birdfeeders, or simply plant wildlife- and pollinator-friendly plants in the garden. It’s also a terrible time to trim trees, given that baby birds are at their most vulnerable stage right now. “Just get out your binoculars and see what’s out there,” she suggests.

Lieff finds cruel irony in the fact that the coronavirus pandemic now taking thousands of human lives apparently started because of unsanitary conditions in mainland Chinese wet markets, where rare live animals are sold in cramped, inhumane conditions and slaughtered onsite. She’s heartened by the awareness brought to the issue by famous primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, who recently appeared on CNN to deliver a message about animal cruelty. “We have amazing brains,” Goodall told host Anderson Cooper. “We are capable of love and compassion for each other. Let us also

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi show compassion for the animals who are with us on this planet. Let us all live in peace and harmony together.” Sadly, Goodall’s upcoming appearance at the Arlington Theatre was recently cancelled thanks to the pandemic. “I’ve had her in my home and consider her a friend of mine,” Lieff says of Goodall. “She was supposed to speak this weekend, and we all had tickets. She is such a hero and this is what she’s fought for all her life.”

To donate or volunteer with SBWCN call 805-681-1019 or visit sbwcn.org

Montecito’s Bucket Brigade Goes Shopping Not even an epic coronavirus pandemic can slow down Abe Powell. The founder of the Bucket Brigade who became a local hero in Montecito after the 1/9 debris flow, when he led local residents in an impromptu effort to dig out their neighbors’ homes, is now taking a front-line role in educating the public about the coronavirus. In an interview, Powell says his group is busy filming webinars and otherwise urging residents to help each other through the crisis. “We knew that this type of pandemic was on the radar,” Powell says. “Not since the Spanish Flu have we seen anything like this.”

In the wake of the debris flow, Powell and the Bucket Brigade focused on outreach to all local groups and organizations to help them prepare for the next disaster, which is now upon us. “We have identified more than 275 homeowner associations throughout Santa Barbara County, and have been reaching out to them to find out how organized they are and what kind of resilience programs they have,” Powell says. “Some of them are very organized, especially when they are located in fire-prone areas, and then there are groups that are barely organized, with like, just one lady keeping super-informed.”

According to Powell, their message to the homeowner groups is to pay less attention to what color fence their neighbors might paint, and more attention to how to people can help their neighbors during an emergency. “One of the most important things when you have a quarantined population is that people get cut off and there is no plan for dealing with that,” Powell explains. “In my neighborhood, I know a man who has a caretaker, and without the caretaker, he’ll die. We have to outreach with these people to see if they have a list of medications that need to be filled, or if they have someone who can come help them get food.”

When I spoke to Powell, he was putting finishing touches on a video instructing people on how to shop for neighbors. He’s also managing a wave of volunteer requests. “There are peo

Powell (left) and other members of the Bucket Brigade before the social-distancing era

The Board and staff of The Granada Theatre look forward to welcoming the Santa Barbara community back into the theater as soon as we are able to open our doors.

In the meantime, we wish safety and health to all our audience members and performing artists.

We are grateful to the dedication and support of our world-class resident companies:

Abe Powell is Montecito Strong

ple scrambling to do things that are outside their skill set,” he says. “There are non-professional groups trying to prepare food and deliver it. That’s a really bad idea if you are not trained to do that. But we’ve got a list of 3,000 people who we consider elite volunteers, people who are low-risk and willing to volunteer for things that have been vetted.”

Because the coronavirus disproportionately affects senior citizens, the pandemic poses an especially diffi

• The Voice of the Village • MONTECITO JOURNAL 43 The Granada Theatre · 805.899.2222 · GranadaSB.org cult challenge for Montecito’s aging population. “There is an official order for high-risk people not to go outside,” Powell continues. “So shopping for them is now officially very important.” If there’s a silver lining to the pandemic, Powell says, it’s that Montecito, having already survived another disaster, is particularly wellpoised to remain resilient and make it through this one. “Fortunately, we saw this coming,” he says. “But now it’s here.” •MJ