Rhonda Walker: Let’s all take a pause in our normal everyday life, I mean seriously committing to ALL take a pause. Realizing when I write that, for many of us we have no choice, Governor Whitmer’s executive orders have changed life as we knew it. But the key to remember is if we all do it, it will be temporary and then we can get back to more normal activities and work.
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The past week I cancelled or postponed all gatherings and activities with the youth in the Rhonda Walker Foundation for the next 3 months. No group gatherings are on our calendar now through June. The cross country college tour trip cancelled. Our Scholar Power and Volunteer Appreciation event to honor our senior class with scholarships and honor our amazing volunteers, cancelled and many other workshops, after school programs, test prep courses, retreats, fundraisers all cancelled or postponed.
It’s heart breaking for me and the inner city kids we serve especially our senior class that in addition to missing school and their friends, they face potentially missing making memories that will last a lifetime like prom, graduation and more. But nothing is more important to me than our teens, staff and volunteers staying healthy. I’m also thankful that we’ve made good financial decisions as an organization always saving for the day funding may drop and we have to survive for a while without our annual donations and grants. I’m thankful that we can pay our staff and we’ll be prepared to resume all our programs and activities when it is safe to do so.
In the short term these extreme restrictions and closures are terrifying, so many wondering how they will keep food on the table if there is no income, will small businesses survive the duration of the shut downs. How will you pay the bills. But what we should be most worried about right now is staying healthy and stopping the spread of the virus. Our top priority has to be our health and the health of all the people in our community. By now you’ve heard from people with mild or no symptoms of this highly contagious and deadly virus. If they are out and about unaware they have it and not practicing the frequent hand washing, social distancing and avoid gathering in groups they can and will spread the virus to other people around them and it keeps spreading and eventually to people with compromised immune systems and for them it can or will be deadly. The larger numbers of serious cases we have that require hospitalization will overwhelm our healthcare system where you, our friends, neighbors and loved ones work to keep us safe. We all have to work together to keep everyone in Michigan safe. And guys, it’s temporary, so please just take a pause for a few weeks and have faith all these precautions will work sooner than later. It’s bad in the short term for long term safety as oppose to long term devastation.
So if you have new found free time think of ways you can help during this time, maybe you can volunteer to package and deliver food to seniors and low income families that can’t afford to put food on the table. Maybe you have a skill or talent you normally use for your job but you are out of work right now, brainstorm ways you can use it to help others in need. But still with all the precautions.
And please show our health care workers, grocery store staff and management, city, state, federal government workers and leadership and yes even the media working hard to keep you informed, more kindness, patience and gratitude. While many are at home with the kids or unable to work there are others working longer hours and putting themselves at risk of exposures to keep us safe, healthy and informed and they deserve our support and appreciation more than ever!
Here’s what’s coming up on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020 on Local 4 News Today
All Morning -- Sunshine and Rain
Paul Gross: Any filtered sunshine Wednesday morning will quickly fade, with rain developing by mid to late afternoon. Highs in the mid 40s (8 degrees Celsius). East wind at 7 to 12 mph. Rain is likely at least during the first half of Wednesday night, with partial clearing toward Thursday morning. Lows in the mid 30s (2 degrees Celsius).
All Morning -- Rhonda’s Brag Book
Do you know a young person who is really making a difference in our community? A standout student, volunteer, star athlete - or all around incredible person? We want you to submit their information on ClickOnDetroit and they could land in Rhonda Walker’s brag book! She’ll show off two incredible students Wednesday.
All Morning -- Reading Month
Schools are closed across Michigan because of the coronavirus crisis, but the reading doesn’t have to stop! Share your photos of your kids reading and you could see them on Local 4 News Today!
6:40 a.m. -- Wellness Wednesday: Coronavirus Concerns
Concerned about the coronavirus? Dr. Frank McGeorge will answer more of your questions, finding verified facts to help you protect your family.
ICYMI
❓Today’s Trivia Retake❓
Every weekday morning at 6 a.m., we ask you a trivia question on Local 4 for a chance to win a prize.
- Tuesday Question: What was the original color used for St. Patrick’s Day?
- Answer: Blue
- Be sure to watch daily at 6 a.m. and click this link to enter for a chance to win.
National Days: March 18th
- National Awkward Moments Day
- National Biodiesel Day
- National Lacy Oatmeal Cookie Day
- National SBDC Day
- National Sloppy Joe Day
- National Supreme Sacrifice Day
History Highlights: March 18th
- In 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii statehood bill. (Hawaii became a state on Aug. 21, 1959.)
- In 1963, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Gideon v. Wainwright, ruled unanimously that state courts were required to provide legal counsel to criminal defendants who could not afford to hire an attorney on their own.
- In 2017, Chuck Berry, rock ‘n’ roll’s founding guitar hero and storyteller who defined the music’s joy and rebellion in such classics as “Johnny B. Goode,” ”Sweet Little Sixteen” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” died at his home west of St. Louis at age 90.
Celebrity Birthdays: March 18th
Celebrating a birthday Wednesday? Submit a Sunshine Award here and we could say your name on Local 4 News Today during our 6 a.m. show.
Here's who you're sharing a birthday with --
- Actor Geoffrey Owens (“The Cosby Show”) is 59.
- TV personality Mike Rowe (“Dirty Jobs”) is 58.
- Singer-actress Vanessa Williams (“Desperate Housewives,” ”Ugly Betty”) is 57.
- Rapper-actress Queen Latifah is 50.
- Comedian Dane Cook (“Employee of the Month”) is 48.
- Singer Philip Sweet of Little Big Town is 46.
- Singer Adam Levine of Maroon 5 is 41.
- Actress Lily Collins is 31.