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locAl Wednesday 8 april 2020
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Support foodbank by marines transferred to hospital

ORANJESTAD — The kitchen port local authorities. In the struggle to fully meet their
crew from the Dutch ma- case of a request of assis- basic needs.
rine base in Savaneta has tance by one of the islands,
prepared more than 1700 the military will support lo- FPNC will try to bring all or-
meals for our Food Bank last cal police forces to main- ganizations and founda-
week. The marines were in tain public order and safe- tions together to focus on
a two-week quarantine af- ty. The marine base cannot avoiding and fighting pov-
ter taking part in an interna- stress enough for people erty, emotional distress and
tional naval exercise and to stay home and keep to social exclusion in the larg-
used their isolation time to the measures taken by the est sense of the word (inde-
help local community. Now government. Only together pendent of the national-
they need their capacity we can fight against CO- ity, religion and culture), to
again on the base, but the VID-19. gather funds and financial
Food Bank is not left alone means to finance these ini-
as the hospital is taking About the Food Bank tiatives and to promote the
over the marine’s task. Fundacion Pa Nos Comuni- poverty care and the com-
dad (FPNC) is a foundation plete welfare.
The Dr. Horacio E. Oduber these hard times we need do good, together we will that supports vulnerable FPNC's major project is the
Hospital will prepare 200 to make the best of it. We make it,” says the marine’s groups and voluntary initia- national Food Bank; stor-
meals a day which will be do this for and with each communication represen- tives in the Aruban commu- age for food products,
donated to the Food Bank. other. It is fantastic to see tative. nity. There are more than clothing, furniture and oth-
They will do this from April 6 that the initiative is car- 800 families registered at er basic needs articles. At
to April 12 and the marines ried on by our hospital. We One of the tasks of the FPNC however we are well the same time they avoid
will take care of the trans- can only hope that more Dutch military defense in aware that there are more waste of food and prod-
port to the Food Bank. “In companies are inspired to the Caribbean is to sup- families on Aruba who ucts .q

Put people before pandemic

By Melissa Martin MD, on Facebook before flexibility, participation, al- the primary players in this
OHIO, U.S. — God bless he died from symptoms lowing, influencing, lead- drama, patients and their
us ten, Amen. God bless consistent with COVID-19. ing, reverence. families, friends, and com-
us four and no more. God His list of words: tolerance, munity, public health ex-
bless us three and we kindness, empathy, com- Lest We Forget perts, and health care pro-
agree. God bless us two passion, love for no reason, When the pandemic has fessionals, historian Nancy
and not you. Hoarding and patience, understanding, ended—and it will end, K. Bristow draws on multiple
hunkering is self-protection, caring, sharing, giving, hu- humans must learn lessons perspectives to highlight
but rooted in panic. Can’t man dignity, selflessness, and better prepare for fu- the complex interplay be-
we make our circle bigger emotional connection, ture microbe warfare on tween social identity, cul-
and include all God’s chil- support, curiosity, innova- Earth. Leaders of all coun- tural norms, memory, and
dren during these taxing tion, resilience, endurance, tries must practice humil- the epidemic. Bristow has Melissa Martin, Ph.D. is an
author, columnist, educator,
and tiring times? steadiness, sufferance, ity and communicate with combed a wealth of prima- and therapist. She lives in U.S.
altruism, benevolence, other citizens on our planet. ry sources, including letters,
Survival is a basic human curtesy, decency, gentle- diaries, oral histories, mem- the Pandemic of 2020
instinct. Fear of illness and ness, sweetness, goodwill, “We have met the enemy oirs, novels, newspapers, will be published. We will
impending death crouches peace, grace, service, and he is us,” said Pogo in a magazines, photographs, know what worked and
at the internal epicenter tact, helpfulness, thought- comic strip by author Walt government documents, what didn’t work. We will
of the coronavirus crisis. fulness, good intentions, Kelly. Humans are not the and health care literature. mourn the deceased. We
Around the periphery is charity, tenderness, open enemy—the coronavirus is She shows that though the will recover, reflect, and
the fear of hunger, thirst, heart, mercy, consider- the enemy. The humans in pandemic caused massive regroup. The human race
and lack of necessities. But ation, condolence, smiles, Wuhan, China are not the disruption in the most basic will carry on. But people
courage and compassion reassurance, warmth, dili- enemy. Viruses don’t have patterns of American life, must come before political
to care for strangers is the gence, fortitude, perse- a nationality and they do influenza did not create agendas, before products
crux of the Good Samari- verance, persistent, poise, not discriminate in whom long-term social or cultural and productivity, and be-
tan story. humility, restraint, appre- they infect. change, serving instead fore a pandemic.
ciation, friendship, pas- to reinforce the status quo
“Don’t forget about these sion, devotion, composure, American Pandemic: The and the differences and “What we learn in times of
tools people! They can be calmness, generosity, soft- Lost Worlds of the 1918 In- disparities that defined pestilence: that there are
the most powerful drugs we ness, blessing, reciprocity, fluenza Epidemic (2017) American life. more things to admire in
have to use in this pandem- self-sacrifice, self-care, sci- by Nancy Bristow needs men than to despise.”―Al-
ic!” wrote Frank Gabrin, ence, prayer, guidance, to be studied. Focused on No doubt, books about bert Camus (The Plague) q