Membership Community Updates

as of March 17, 2020

With the safety of membership community at the forefront of our minds, we feel obligated to make the difficult decision to close our doors through March 31st. Quite frankly, this wasn’t an easy decision to make. We are closely monitoring the situation as it develops and if we have to extend our closure beyond March 31st, we will be in communication on how this effects your membership.

Building An Ecosystem

Our efforts over the next few weeks will be to help to lessen the impact that an inevitable economic slowdown will have on small businesses, entrepreneurs, and our membership community broadly. Now more than ever, it is really important to come together as a community to help one another. Our team is working hard to immediately roll out a series of tools to help our membership community support each other during these times.

The first thing that we are excited to share is TGS Link, a program to connect our membership base with one another based on what needs and resources they have. We realize that you may need anything from a babysitter to a graphic designer, and everything in between. If so, please complete this form. Conversely, if you have anything that could be helpful for the community and would like to be connected with members at our team’s discretion, please complete this link. We have tasked our team to work on connecting as many people as possible and we also welcome any ideas from the membership base on how we can expand this initiative.

Finally, we will be using all of our platforms to feature businesses in The Gathering Spot community. If you are interested in being profiled, please complete this link.

While we are quickly growing and believe the movement that is The Gathering Spot is as strong as ever, we are still a small business that depends on members like you. Humbly, if there is any ask that we have, it is that you stick with us as we will be sticking with you. While TK and I will not be drawing a salary from the business until this is over, our goal over the next few months is to continue to pay our team and offer our current benefits. Like many of you, this isn’t our first season of overcoming challenges but similar to the past we are confident that there are brighter days ahead.

These times can be isolating, so let’s stand together.

 

Staying Safe Amid COVID-19 Concerns

Cases of COVID-19 (Coronavirus) have been detected in Georgia and nearly every state in the country. We are asking our community to follow the guidance from the CDC for reducing exposure to COVID-19  and other respiratory diseases. Some examples include:

  • Practicing social distancing

  • Shielding coughs and sneezes with tissue, elbow or shoulder.

  • Washing hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

  • Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.

 

These every day habits can help prevent the spread of any virus and help keep you healthy. A couple of other facts we think it is important to share from The World Health Organization (WHO) and CDC are:

  • COVID-19 is not airborne but instead is transmitted through droplets of fluid or mucus that you cough or sneeze out (that generally don’t travel farther than 6 feet).

    • WHO: “The main way the disease spreads is through respiratory droplets expelled by someone who is coughing. The risk of catching COVID-19 from someone with no symptoms at all is very low.”

 

  • At-risk populations (the elderly and those with pre-existing health conditions) are at most risk.

    • WHO: “Illness due to COVID-19 infection is generally mild, especially for children and young adults. However, it can cause serious illness: about 1 in every 5 people who catch it need hospital care.”

    • CDC: “Older adults and people who have severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease seem to be at higher risk for more serious COVID-19 illness.”

 

  • Common symptoms include fever, tiredness, and dry cough.

    • WHO: “Some patients may have aches and pains, nasal congestion, runny nose, sore throat or diarrhea. These symptoms are usually mild and begin gradually. Some people become infected but don’t develop any symptoms and don’t feel unwell. Most people (about 80%) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Older people, and those with underlying medical problems like high blood pressure, heart problems or diabetes, are more likely to develop serious illness. People with fever, cough and difficulty breathing should seek medical attention.”

 

  • Only wear a mask if you have symptoms or are caring for someone that does.

    • WHO: “Only wear a mask if you are ill with COVID-19 symptoms (especially coughing) or looking after someone who may have COVID-19. Disposable face mask can only be used once. If you are not ill or looking after someone who is ill then you are wasting a mask. There is a world-wide shortage of masks, so WHO urges people to use masks wisely.”

 

  •  If you have been traveling or plan to in the near future, the CDC does have specific guidance for travelers that we advise you to follow.

 

We advise you to conduct your own research and consult your own primary care physicians if you have questions or concerns regarding COVID-19. We will continue to proactively monitor the situation and react appropriately as the situation develops.