Appreciating our community during crazy times
As the Grateful Dead
once sang, “what a
long, strange tip it’s
been.”
It doesn’t seem
that long ago, because
it wasn’t really, when I was sitting
in a meeting for ABAC’s Stafford
School of Business on a Thursday
morning in March when news
reports began to surface that the
by Chris Beckham coronavirus could possibly cause
schools to temporarily close.
There had been some news about COVID-19 earlier in
the week from around Georgia, but few people if anyone
had any idea at that time what would lie ahead.
The meeting at ABAC ended at lunch and as we
all walked back to our cars, the conversation centered
around “what exactly will happen now?” By that
afternoon, Gov. Kemp recommended that public schools
shut down temporarily and ABAC announced that classes
would cease for two weeks. And we all know what has
transpired since.
All governments, schools, businesses and
organizations have had to make a lot of crucial decisions
since then and probably all have been supported
and/or criticized for those decisions by others with
different views. We have, and are, venturing through
unprecedented times and at no time has it been more
crucial for communities to work together to help its
citizens in any way possible.
I’m proud to say that I have seen that happen
in numerous ways in Tift County. I’ve been extremely
impressed with the leadership from Tift Regional Medical
Center and all healthcare employees who have endured
what I’m sure none of us outside of their profession can
imagine. It was evident from the start of the pandemic
that Southwell President/CEO Chris Dorman adopted an
“all-in” attitude that had to inspire hospital employees to
do the same, and he continuously communicated with the
public as much as possible so that the community knew
as much as possible.
I saw local education officials adapt quicker than
I could’ve ever imagined to teach students online. Before
the shutdown, I would have thought coming up with a
workable system to do this would have taken six months,
minimum. Our folks got it done in weeks. Amazing.
And I saw pledges to shop and do business
locally that had been given a lot of lip service before, but
was met with more enthusiasm than I can remember. All
of these things reminded me why I love Tift County and
its citizens.
I saw the incredible volunteer effort of “Peanut
Butter and Jesus”, which has been feeding and ministering
to children in local neighborhoods each Saturday for
quite some time, take it up another notch and change to
a daily routine with the help of several volunteers and
businesses who decided it was just the right thing to do.
I saw churches suspend in-person services but
remain linked through prayer, underscoring the belief that
the church is not the building where worship happens,
but the people whose faith withstands these kinds of
challenges.
But I won’t be dishonest and ignore the hardships
the COVID-19 has caused. I know business owners who
have made the difficult decision to close their doors for
good. I know others who shut down temporarily but had
to lay off employees for an undetermined period of time.
Many if not most of these local folks survive paycheck
to paycheck and were left wondering when or where the
next one would come from.
I’ve seen the long line of cars waiting to pull
into the Georgia Museum of Agriculture for food as our
friends at the Second Harvest of South Georgia provided
boxes of food for around 1,800 households, each good
for around 70-80 meals each. A sad and inspiring scene at
the same time.
Finally, and most importantly, I know friends
who have contracted the virus and others who have lost
loved ones due to it. And I have friends who lost loved
ones due to other issues but could not attend their funeral
due to the shutdown. While the economy can rebound,
nothing can change that kind of finality and my heart
breaks for them.
At the Chamber of Commerce, we have worked
to provide resources for our members, talked to various
government organizations and business-specific entities
to learn about programs that could possibly help those
in need. We have continued to promote our members’
services and continued to work with prospects who are
attracted to our area because of many of the reasons
previously listed. Though the last few months have been
difficult, we continue to work with companies looking to
grow and expand and the economic development success
that our area has enjoyed over the last few years has
continued.
We don’t know exactly what the days, weeks,
and months ahead will bring. But I am convinced that we
will find a way to work through it together. The “better
angels of our nature” have been seen and heard.
12 Tift Chamber Focus • SUMMER 2020