So, now that things are starting to reopen, it’s time for all of us to step outside into the sunlight, take a look around and then take a moment, just a minute to give ourselves a collective pat on the back. We made it through Quarantine. Is it over….well no, could it happen again? Well….yes….but folks, we as humans pulled together and survived. It’s ok if you didn’t write a novel, become a vegan or train for a marathon while you were on quarantine. If you kept yourself, your family or pets alive, food on the table and found a way to survive the absence of toilet paper then congratulations, you did great.

What’s next? Boy don’t I wish I had an answer. But what I do know is we are now in a Brave New World. We never imagined that in 48 hours the entire world would shut down. It’s ok if you weren’t prepared. You didn’t know that that was your kids last day of school….indefinitely. We never imagined the whole globe would shut down; schools, airports, buses, businesses…we weren’t prepared for a global pandemic and what it would mean on a personal level to our families. That’s ok. You made it through, you did the best you could and that is enough. Let it be enough, take a deep breath and let’s move forward together.

Because we have new information and a new reality, we have an opportunity to be better prepared for the future. Whatever your thoughts about the pandemic, we can all agree that the future is not at all certain. We know that everything can change….we’ve been there, we’ve done it, we’ve learned from it. So, let’s prepare to not just Survive but Thrive as a Community and as a planet.

Join us as we do our very best to apply what we’ve learned from the last few months to help plan for the best…and the worst. We know how it feels to be caught unawares, to lack supplies, to lose jobs, to run out of food, to worry about letting our kids ride bikes because they might break and arm and the hospitals are no longer safe. Let’s take small, do able, non-scary steps to make plans for the best and the worst. I promise you will not have to dig a bunker, purchase a semi truck of toilet paper or learn to grind your own flour….just simple, doable steps to a more prepared future.

Here’s how we’ll start preparing to Survive and Thrive:

• The 72 hour Pantry Supply- Progress not perfection- Froot Loops are a valid Quarantine Food
• The No Nonsense First Aid Kit you will actually Use
• Full tank, Full Pantry, What’s Next? Extended Family Emergency Plans
• Home Schooling …You are doing just fine!
• Follow us at az-gycc.org as we walk through these steps together!