We are in the heart of winter and in the past week or so, we saw plummeting temperatures and snow accumulations the Indianapolis area only sees once every few years.
When I woke up to see 11 inches of snowfall in one day, due to late sleeping teenage boys, and a love for my poor dog Ruby who would be swallowed by the snow depth during her morning routine, I put on about 10 pounds-worth of clothing and headed out for what would be a back burning shoveling session. As I grabbed my shovel, I thought to myself “how am I going to tackle this snow?”
Growing up in South Bend, I am used to the lake effect snowfall and while I have only lived in Indianapolis for a few years, I quickly forgot the meaning of being prepared for an extreme winter. The key to surviving all types of weather is being prepared. Stocking your pantry, filling your gas tank, testing your flashlight batteries, etc.
I liken the COVID-19 pandemic to the blizzard conditions and freezing weather we experienced. We were completely unprepared. But eventually we got the "hang of it." So here we are, a year into COVID and we are getting the “hang of it.” As debilitating and devastating as it’s been, we’ve proven our resilience. Our Jewish community agencies, synagogues, and organizations have played an important role in our ability to get through this.
I hope you have reached out for help when you’ve needed it. This community is filled with helpful people who care about you. They may even offer their snow blower!
Maybe you’ve benefited from the Federation, whether it be through our grant program or participated in one of our virtual community connections. Maybe you have helped someone else benefit from the Federation by donating to the much-needed emergency relief dollars or food to stock the shelves of Popsie’s Pantry.
Whatever the case may be, we are all in this together. For more than a century, the Federation and its partners are here for the community whether we are in crisis or not. We might not have been as prepared as we could have been, but we came together, and we had a little extra to help those who might have had a little less. That is the meaning of community and I love being a part of our Jewish community for that reason and so many others.
It is predicted that this Shabbat will continue to bring Arctic temperatures to Indianapolis and I am sure there’s more snowfall on the horizon. I will have my boots, coat, gloves and shovel ready. I hope you will too. And if not, let us know because we are always here for you.
Shabbat Shalom,
Debby Barton Grant
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