State of the Barn – March 23, 2020
Dear Friends,
We are facing a truly unprecedented situation. The global coronavirus pandemic is affecting our families, our businesses, our communities and our way of life. During this time, I wanted to reach out and update you on how we’re dealing with this situation at The Barn.
First and foremost, our hearts go out to anyone who’s been impacted by the virus, either directly or indirectly. All of us at The Barn are focused on the health and safety of the children we serve and their families, as well as our animals, staff, volunteers and supporters- not to mention the community at-large.
Mr. Chris continues to come to work at The Barn daily to feed and tend to the animals, assisted by barn helpers Kathy and Alexa who help out on Mr. Chris’s off days. Miss Annie and I are busy working from home; however, we dearly miss the activity of our animals, volunteers and children.
At this time we have suspended our Individual Programs until further notice. Like you, we are tuned-in to the latest updates from our regional, state and national experts, which seem to change by the hour. For this reason we are unable to predict a date when we expect to resume business as usual. We recently made the tough decision to cancel our Spring Fling on April 4 and, although we are full steam ahead with preparations for this summer’s Camp Geronimo, we realize that we must remain flexible depending upon what the future brings.
To keep you and your family connected to life at The Barn, Mr. Chris will be regularly posting images and videos of our critters, so be sure to check Facebook regularly. We will also be live streaming our Baby-doll sheep – Sam and Samantha – as they get their spring haircuts! Again, we’ll be sure to announce this on Facebook ahead of time so you can tune in to watch.
Today reminds us that we’re all connected like never before. We’re called upon to be our best selves, with patience, understanding and compassion. All of us at The Barn are persevering right along with you at this challenging time. We’ll get through this together.
As we go forward, we’ll be sure to keep you updated, and know that we always value your questions, ideas and feedback.
Stay safe and well,
Nan Latona
Executive Director