Community2gether (formerly Community 2000) continues our goal of supporting each other, the businesses in our Villages of Florida, Greenwood Lake, and Warwick, and the entire town.
We hope these articles provoke discussions at home and with friends and neighbors. It will help us all start a safe and thoughtful transition -- back to a more open and active town as we begin to successfully move beyond this pandemic.
It’s wonderful news that we have. By our efforts and cooperation, we’ve significantly reduced the level of new cases in our region.
Still, not everyone feels safe. When we see someone who is fearful of interaction with others, we have to consider they may be medically vulnerable. They may be the caregiver of a child or senior citizen with a serious medical condition that makes them highly susceptible to this particular virus.
Our respect and concern can be shown by continuing to wear face masks in proximity with our friends and neighbors -- both indoors and outdoors until we have further reduced the level of contagion.
As we start to move around our Town, we hear that people are trying to find more ways to purchase what they need right here in Warwick. Historically, Warwick was a community that came out of the Great Depression a little stronger than it went into that difficult era because the community pulled together and supported each other. So perhaps there is now the emergence of a new sense of Localism in Warwick. Maybe our pride and sense of purpose in our town and our desire to keep Warwick Strong will make us look locally instead of nationally for what we need.
We think this could be a time for Warwick to find new healthy ways to grow and produce more products with resources to be found in Warwick. We hope these possibilities will start to appear.
But for right now, it is time to help our trusted local shopkeepers and businesses to provide those products which you seek. Go visit them, if only to say hello. “I miss my customers very much” says Bill Fitzula of Fitzula’s Gift Shop in Greenwood Lake and again by Bob Maxwell of Style Counsel in the Village of Warwick. Express yourself, don’t be shy.
And ask for what you would like to find locally. Reach out to us at info@community2gether.org or follow us on Facebook: @Community2gether. We would also like to hear from you and learn how we can be more effective to support our community’s needs.
Let’s get out safely and support those we value. It is time. Let’s go.
(Please share ideas for personal stories about what you have been doing during this pandemic or about perspectives to be considered for this series. Contact Patricia McMillan at patricia@community2gether.com.)