The Ring Theory of Venting suggests that a person experiencing trauma or hard times should vent to and lean on their immediate supporters or caregivers, and those supports then vent to their own, less affected support team. Comfort inward, dumping outward — except if every person in the world is experiencing the same crisis in the COVID-19 pandemic, who can we turn to?

Right now we are pretty much universally stressed, anxious, and unable to go about daily life in safety. There’s sort of a murky unease hanging overhead, perpetual exhaustion, and the creeping worry that everyone else is somehow handling this frightening season much better than I am. All of these feelings are natural; we are hurting and afraid as a whole human race. We’re way down Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and right now there’s nothing we can do about it, except see to our own needs and the needs of others, as best we can.

Aside from the fundamentals of hand hygiene and staying home, wellness in the time of Shelter In Place / Quarantine / Essential Working might look like this…

Go easy on yourself. No, easier than that. There’s pressure, for those quarantined, to come out the other side with a tidied living space, a new skill, art accomplished, cooking refined. If you can do some of that, that’s fantastic, but it’s not mandatory and those things are hard enough to achieve when we’re not experiencing global trauma and community hardship. If you’re working during a crisis, chances are you’re not going to be able to be as productive or focused as you would be without the crisis.

Don’t deny yourself rest or play. We all need those things as absolute prerequisites to happiness. It’s okay to relax and play if you have the opportunity, and you don’t have to hold yourself tense because you think you should be doing something else or haven’t earned it. Playing games can be a mind-healing process.

Get outside a little during daylight hours. Michigan’s Shelter In Place rules allow for exercise like walking or riding a bike, but even soaking up a little bit of Vitamin D on the front step will probably help. 

Be intentional about what you consume: from news, to food, to alcohol or other substances, try to choose the things you are taking in. If the news is stressing you, take breaks, or schedule a once-a-day check. If you forget to eat, schedule that too.

Reach out to your loved ones and community. It’s hard to retrain our values away from “meeting up with friends and visiting family is good” to “we don’t meet up or visit so nobody dies.” That’s wildly difficult and it’s going to feel wrong, so reach out in other ways with calls, notes, video chat, or remote gifts. Contact with people who accept and affirm us is simply crucial, especially among the LGBTQ+ community.

Ask for help. It’s another thing that might feel wrong, as though asking for or using someone else’s resources might harm them or show ourselves as not enough somehow. But to me, the opportunity to do something helpful for someone else can be a gift, something that makes me feel like I have purpose, and it can bring us closer together, too. Metaphorically.

We should lean on and support each other, even though we’re all going through it. If you’re in need of resources, social contact, or even just a quick check-in, please have a look at what the Grand Rapids Pride Center is offering in our Virtual Queer Services. Every opportunity to support our community members is a gift.

— Leslie Boker, Proud To Be Healthy Coordinator

In accordance with the state mandate, the Grand Rapids Pride Center will be closed until Monday, April 13. Our team has been working diligently to bring services to our LGBTQ+ community through a virtual format. Click here to view virtual support options available.

This is a tough time for our entire community. Our team at GRPC want you to know we’re still here for you. Please email team members directly or email info@grpride.org if you need anything.

In partnership now more than ever.

Thomas

 

In the interest of public safety, the Grand Rapids Pride Center will be closed until Monday, April 5th in response to local and state guidelines in regards to COVID-19.

(616) 458-3511
info@grpride.org

Beginning Monday, March 23rd, our entire staff will be working remotely. We’re excited to launch our Virtual Queer Services on Monday, stay tuned!

Thank you for your understanding as we do our part to help protect the health and welfare of our team, our members, and our LGBTQ+ community.

Additional resources:

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Stay up to date with reliable information from the following sources:

As our community is responding to the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the Grand Rapids Pride Center (GRPC) is committed to the health and safety of LGBTQ+ individuals and our community as a whole. We recognize that those we serve may be at a higher risk of infection due to multiple risk factors, including age and compromised immune systems. That being said, we are taking several precautionary measures to keep our clients and guests safe and healthy.

As an organization, we have:

  • Installed new automatic no-touch Purell hand sanitizing stations.
  • Increased hours per week that our Facilities Staff are scheduled. Facilities Staff are now be scheduled to come in every day that programming and services take place to clean and disinfect common spaces, bathrooms, telephones, doorknobs and other high-traffic surfaces.
  • Communicated to staff, interns, group facilitators and volunteers to wash their hands with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom, eating food, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing and when coming into contact with others
  • Implemented policies regarding GRPC representatives presenting with cold and flu symptoms. Any GRPC staff, intern, group facilitator or volunteer who present as ill will be sent home. GRPC staff and interns will be given the opportunity to work from home.
  • Developed and posted guidelines for limited or no-touch greetings and goodbyes. As an organization, we are recommending that staff, interns, volunteers, and guests greet and say goodbye to folks using hand signs and signals, “air hugs,” and elbow touches.

As guests of the Grand Rapid Pride Center, we ask that you:

  • Please stay home if you are not feeling well. Persons that present to GRPC exhibiting symptoms of cold and flu may be asked to leave. If you need emotional support, please call GRPC at (616)458-3511 and one of our staff will be able to assist you. If you’re experiencing a mental health emergency, please call 9-1-1.
  • Please sanitize your hands upon entering the building. We have installed an automatic no-touch hand sanitizing station at our front entry.
  • Please wash your hands with warm soap and water for at least 20 seconds after using the bathroom, eating food, blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing and when coming into contact with others.
  • Please use limited or no-touch greetings and goodbyes. As an organization, we are recommending that staff, interns, volunteers, group facilitators, and guests greet and say goodbye to folks using hand signs and signals, “air hugs,” and elbow touches.

At this time, we are not planning to cancel any upcoming social and support groups, office hours or events. We may be asking that in-person meetings be replaced with conference calls as recommended by social distancing guidelines. We will make decisions regarding Grand Rapids Pride Festival 2020 based on local, state and national recommendations- at this time we are proceeding as planned. We will be staying in contact with local health officials at the Kent County Health Department and monitor recommendations by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) as well as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions.
Thomas Pierce
Executive Director
(p): 616.458.3511 x101
(e): thomas.pierce@grpride.org

Informational Links re: COVID-19: