I woke early on Tuesday with a single mission in mind: a trip to the grocery store. A month ago, a trip to the store would’ve been an afterthought, but on this Tuesday in April, it required careful planning. Not just a handwritten aisle-by-aisle grocery list that read more like a Google Map, but also the mask we’d taken home from Gentle Dental a year ago to “play dentist” with Reu. It also included disposable food handler gloves, and the pep talk from my sister as I sat outside of Market of Choice.
I couldn’t help but reflect on Market of Choice’s opening and how family and friends from out of town always include this stop on their list—Tumalo Falls, Smith Rock, and Market of Choice. It really is a community market, filled with local produce, the energy of a family-owned business, and a staff that takes pride in what they do. That’s not to mention the crowds that gather on the grocery store’s spacious patio to listen to live music each summer—a testament to how well “the market” fits seamlessly into our community.
Yet there I was, in a parking lot of 30 cars that would normally hold a hundred or more, pulling the elastic straps of a dentist’s mask behind my ears and reminding myself to stay calm. Here goes.
As I walked toward the market, the anticipation built. I realized it had been a month since I’d been in a public place in Bend. Although I felt awkward, I was doing my part to keep Bend safe. I was wearing a mask to protect other shoppers, the dedicated employees, and myself.
I walked through the doors of the grocery store, passed a series of signs about cart cleanliness and what was currently closed due to coronavirus. As I headed toward the freshly baked Sparrow loaves, a few customers came into view—each one in their own mask, each one distanced from the next—all going about their shopping carefully and quietly.
My shopping list read like Noah’s Ark—I picked up bread, eggs, cheese, yogurt—all two by two. I doubled up on just about everything, including chocolate chips and wine. After 20 minutes, and an attempt to smile with my eyes at the cashier behind the plexiglass that smartly protected her from us, I was exiting the store with my groceries.
As a final touch, the employee helping out with carts motioned to simply push the cart in his direction and he’d take it from there. I felt a final wave of relief fall over me. I was grateful to live in a community that was taking the virus and precautions seriously.
I loaded the groceries, sanitized my hands, keys, credit card, and hung my mask like a badge of honor on my rear view mirror. Although the extent of COVID-19’s effects on public health and the economy are sweeping and the worst might still be yet to come, I drove away from Market of Choice feeling hopeful.
Here are five more ways Bend is coming together to distill hope (and sanitizer) in the time of coronavirus.
1. Free Meals for Kids
Local restaurants are stepping up to keep bellies full during the COVID-19 with new take out options. Laughing Planet and Bend Brewing Company, among others, are also offering free meals for kids. Some restaurants require a take out order for the free kids meal, so grab the entire family dinner at a reduced cost tonight. Kids can also receive a daily lunch at many pick up locations through Bend-La Pine Schools with their grab and go meal program.
2. Handmade Masks
Over the last few weeks, many health institutions put out requests for PPE, in particular, masks. Throughout Central Oregon, local makers have banded together (while actually staying home and apart) to produce over 2,500 masks for St. Charles Health System. New groups have formed in Central Oregon, like Emergency Mask Makers, and will continue to create masks until our local hospital system reaches 10,000 masks.
Local artists and designers, like Allison Murphy owner of Utilitu Sewing & Design are creating custom masks in various sizes, including child’s size. These masks are for civilian use and follow all social distancing protocols. Simply put, I love that we can be safe, keep others safe, and still feel stylish. I have a feeling these masks will also be mementos we will look back on, a reminder of what we collectively went through, and part of the stories we’ll tell our grandkids someday.
3. Local Wellness Offerings Online
Many local fitness and wellness groups are offering online classes and activities. Each day, Namaspa leads a live meditation on Facebook to help viewers find peace amidst the chaos. Bend Parks and Recreation is also offering “Play at Home” activities like fitness, learning, arts and crafts, and more to keep families engaged and active.
4. Giving Pantries
Across the region, service industry employers have stepped up to help their employees. Brasada Ranch hosted their inaugural Brasada Cares Pantry event to benefit their team members on temporary leave, by filling their grocery bags with food. The Giving Plate continues to offer food for families while protecting against COVID-19 with their new drive-up food-box service.
5. Top Shelf Sanitizers
Oregon Spirit Distillers recently shifted gears from making award winning whisky to producing much needed hand sanitizer for health professionals and local businesses. Each day, the distillery is also giving away 8oz per person. Crater Lake Spirits is also offering one complimentary bottle of hand sanitizer per person at their tasting rooms.
There’s no place I’d rather be on lockdown than Bend, Oregon. If you follow along with me on Instagram, you know we’ve been keeping our two year old busy in our backyard.
Our neighborhood (and much of Bend for that matter) is ideal for self-isolating, with quiet trails, a duck pond, and wide-open fields to run around in.
Our son Reu will no doubt remember this time as very special—with little more on the agenda than exploring our backyard.
I'd be remiss not to mention my husband Steven, who's been putting food on the table not just for us, but for many families in Bend as he continues to operate our restaurant, Barrio, for take out and delivery. He’s also home a lot more, which is definitely some silver lining for our family. We really appreciate the bright spots despite so much uncertainty, or perhaps because of it.
We're healthy, we're cautious, and we are able to continue to contribute to this truly remarkable community we call home. There’s nowhere else I’d rather be than Bend, even now.
What’s keeping you sane while staying home in Bend? Or, if you’re reading this from afar, I hope my story inspires you to seek out the good happening in your community, too. Leave a comment to let me know.
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