By Travis Cheatham

Possibly my most annoying quality to people (this is a self-reflection), is that I use the word ‘caveat’ and ‘preface’ way too much.   I rarely am able to tell a story or give a basic thought, without saying, “One caveat, though” or “Let me preface that.”  I panic at the thought of being misunderstood and strongly believe that context matters.  I completely relate to Chidi from The Good Place in questioning my every move and the implications of my actions.  So, for me, the most growth comes from having Eleanors (also from The Good Place)come into my life to challenge me and introduce me to new modes of thinking.

So, as expected, let me now provide an important preface to a discussion on stimulus checks.  I’ll start by saying that if you are one of the many people who have been critically affected by COVID-19, whether that means a loss of your job, an inability to work due to a lack of childcare/schooling, a pay cut from your job, new financial burdens as you directly care for family and friends etc. the rest of this blog entry is not for you.  That’s not to say that you can’t read the rest, but please know this is a fairly niche target audience that I hope will consider what I have to say.

Let me narrow the field a bit further.

For most of my adult life, I’ve lived paycheck to paycheck.  I still have enough student loans to make me queasy.  I check my bank account regularly before getting groceries or placing an order to make sure I don’t go into the red.  Right now, I’ve actually been putting off several cheap home repairs because I’m waiting for my next paycheck.  My wife, Amy, and I split paying bills and she has often been the bigger “breadwinner” in our marriage.

Currently, we both work in public schools, which is not a way anyone got rich, but it has at least provided stability.  For once in my life, we both have some money in savings and generally no credit card debt.  All that to say, if you do not really have any form of savings, you were struggling even before we knew the term COVID-19, or the stability of your job is very uncertain, I think it’s fair to say that this blog entry is not really for you either.

For those who are so very blessed to remain in this conversation, I humbly suggest this – the stimulus checks were not made for us.  These unprecedented funds were granted for the vast numbers of people and businesses who are in crisis.  I know we all have debt, things we’ve put off, and things we’ve been saving for.  For me, ultimately, I feel like this is a gift that isn’t really mine.  I know that for many, the stimulus check will be a drop in the bucket and that there will be definite gaps that leave many people in need behind.  So what am I proposing?  That those of us who are fine without our stimulus checks find some way to donate them to those of us who are not fine.

Before the checks are released, I want to issue this request:

1. Regardless of your spiritual tradition, I encourage you to ponder 2 Corinthians 9:6-7, “Now this I say, he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. Each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”  Even aside from this unusual time, I think one of the greatest joys of donating is finding an organization, business, or cause that speaks to you and that allows you to be a cheerful giver.
2. Discuss the best use of these funds with your family/spouse.  You are a team and you need to be on the same page.  This is not an everyday occurrence and making decisions like these together strengthens relationships.  Amy and I are still deciding what is best for us as a family.
3. Think about those around you who are being affected the most.  Is there someone in your life that you are uniquely positioned to help?  Could that help be done anonymously?  Could it be indirect, like contracting them for services?
4. Consider organizations/causes that you are passionate about and that have a proven history of managing funds well and getting resources to the people who need it.
5. Regardless of where you land on this topic, support local restaurants and businesses however you can.  Get take-out meals, buy gift cards, and see how they are doing. 

Regarding the greater Waco community, there is no shortage of worthy causes and nonprofits.  In addition, there are many conversations going on right now with organizations like Prosper Waco, Waco Foundation, Cooper Foundation, Rapoport Foundation, Grassroots Community Development, United Way and others about the most effective way to gather, administrate, and distribute funds.  One of the results of these conversations is a new website called Waco Working Together.  In addition to these efforts, I wanted to specifically suggest two organizations:

• Caritas – They have consistently been Waco’s go-to place for urgent assistance with food, clothing, household items, utility assistance, prescription medication assistance, rent or mortgage assistance.
• Waco Immigrants Alliance (WIA) – Probably the largest section of our labor force who are 1) directly impacted by COVID-19 AND 2) will not receive stimulus checks are immigrants.  Think about the number of staff in restaurants, hotels, agriculture, construction etc.  WIA can help families that are particularly at risk of becoming homeless, falling victim to predatory lending, and other exploitative activities including notarios who do not properly represent them in their immigration cases.

Finally, for anyone reading this, know that I’m not proposing this is an all or nothing or one-size-fits-all concept.  Any donation is meaningful, so consider what you can do.

Travis Cheatham has worked with local schools and nonprofits for the past 6 years.  In 2019, he was honored as one of the Greater Waco Chamber’s 40 Under 40 finalists.  Travis is the current chair of the Mentor Waco Coalition (one of Prosper Waco’s working groups). Travis is also the Chef/Owner of Cuppa, Waco, TX a catering and food consulting business. Travis is a ’06 Baylor grad who loves this community and loves to travel with his wife, Amy, whenever possible.

By Alfred Solano, President and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce

1. Lead by example. You as a business owner /Leader/Entrepreneur are where you are for lots of reasons and people are looking to you for guidance. Be the example by practicing the recommended and ordered current new normal guidelines, social distancing, the new Art of handwashing, protective masks… We all want folks to shop with us, and now more than ever shopping local matters.  Find local online resellers for the products you need when you can.

2. Ask for Assistance. Get educated about the SBA backed Disaster Loans, the current Unemployment rules and opportunities by engaging the local professional community of attorneys, healthcare professionals, CPA’s, bookkeepers, Insurance professionals, bankers, credit unions, and IT pros. We all have access to business support available through Startup Waco, the Chambers of Commerce (10 in McLennan county), Heart of Texas Workforce Solutions, McLennan Small Business Development Center, United Way, Prosper Waco, and the Small Business Administration.

3. Be patient. I heard someone say today that this may be the most difficult thing for an entrepreneur to do because by nature they move at a fast pace and don’t have time to waste. However, these are unprecedented times, and the rulebook and guidelines are fluid and sometimes changing from one day to the next. Likely you will be asked to resubmit information, or for additional information, and deadlines will not be met. My advice is hang in there, stay the course, and do whatever you do to calm yourself – yoga, meditate, run, martial arts, read – and then keep going.

4. Keep great Records. The financial resources offered from recently adopted legislation and other existing resources have requirements that will be reviewed when we get through this situation. If you have a system and have always kept great documentation, then keep doing that.  If you have not, then start now.  This is the perfect time to get a process that works for your business. Having easily accessible records of your financials will pay dividend in the future.

5. Be kind to yourself. Business is absolutely upside down for a lot of folks. The fear of dealing with the Coronavirus disease and loss of work is real. It is also true that in times of great struggle and pressure our senses and abilities are heightened so that we can meet the challenges that exist. So, do what you can everyday and then stop. Close your office door, kitchen table office, laptop, closet, or phone, whatever is now your “Work space.” Then rest or go for a walk, bike ride, a virtual exercise class, lift weights, call you Mom, siblings, children and live the life that you work so hard for every day. I think that there has never been a better time to close down the home kitchen and get some delivery or take-out from that place “You have always wanted to try.” We are going to get through this and no doubt some things will be changed in a bad way, but I am confident that there will be lessons learned and memories made that when we look back at this current reality it will be a (template/mold/turning point) for growing healthy, mobile, and creative commerce.  Be Well!

Alfred Solano was raised in Waco and is a graduate of Texas State Technical College. He is the President and CEO of the Cen-Tex Hispanic Chamber of Commerce since June of 2018. His community activities include currently serving as a board member of Act Locally Waco, the Family Health Center, Hillcrest Health System, Inc., MCC Foundation, StartUp Waco, and Vice Chairman of Prosper Waco.  After 35 years of working in the business community, Alfred enjoys bringing his experiences and various partnerships and relationships to the membership and community that the Hispanic Chamber works to serve. Rachel his wife can be found around town enjoying all the coolness that is Waco. Alfred and Rachel are very proud of his Daughter Elena who works as a Psychotherapist and lives in Austin. Contact information: 254 754-7111 · [email protected] · www.wacohispanicchamber.com.

By Dr. Peaches Henry

After we finish working from home, are done with homeschooling each day, or have been sheltering in place, what do we do with ourselves and our families?  The SIPO has reminded me that humans are social creatures.  Friends have told me that they miss their colleagues at work.    Students are missing their classmates and teachers.  Families are wondering how they replace Boy Scouts, dance class, soccer, baseball, youth church, performance groups, debate team, History Fair, Science Fair, etc.  Adults no longer have book clubs, yoga class, gym workouts, volunteer groups, social clubs, church meetings, and more. We have gone from days and evenings filled with social activities to social distancing. 

During the SIPO, it is crucial that we remember this:  Social distancing should not mean social isolation.  Everyone should feel she belongs to someone.  It is up to each of us to make sure that we reach out and take care of each other.  I’ve been mulling over how we can take care of each other during this enforced down time and came up with some ideas.  These are not the only (or even the best) ideas.  They are merely my ideas for how to survive the SIPO with peace, patience, camaraderie, and love.

Yourself

You know those airplane safety instructions that tell you to “put your own oxygen mask on before you help others?”  The same rule applies during the SIPO.  Take care of yourself first.  This is the time to pamper yourself.  You will be taking care of others, especially those of us who are in the sandwich generation, so you need to be healthy.  Sandwich generation?  That’s those folks who are simultaneously raising children and caring for parents.  Here we go.

1. Write a blog.  That’s what this is.  According to my son, if you email it, it’s just an email.  For it to be a blog, you have to post it on a site.  That’s why I am posting it via ActLocallyWaco.
2. Now is the time to get social media literate.  Join Facebook and send out friend requests and accept friend requests.  My 67-year-old aunt sent me a friend request last week.  I accepted with alacrity.  Twitter is a great place to put in your two-cents worth on all manner of issues, and now you have the time to do it.  Also, learn video conferencing platforms like Zoom.  Even if we can’t touch each other, we need to see each other.  Make-up isn’t necessary, but you might consider combing your hair before joining a meeting.
3. When you go on a grocery run, grab a bunch of flowers to brighten up your house.  You’re going to be there a while.
4. Do your own mani-pedi.  As much as I would like it to be so, a mani-pedi is not an essential function. For the foreseeable future, we are not heading to the salon or the barbershop.  If you are really brave, cut your own hair or have your partner do it.  Or you can let your hair grow uncut for as long as the SIPO lasts (men can let their beards grow too like superstitious baseball players do).  Come on; it’s a pandemic.  We’re already living dangerously.
5. Take a bubble bath.  First, put the dog out and tell your children (and partner) they can only bother you if doing so involves fire or bleeding that won’t stop.  For bleeding, tell them to try a tourniquet before knocking on the bathroom door (remember to lock it).
6. Organize your old photos (paper ones not virtual ones).  If you don’t have actual photos, download the FreePrints app and print photos from your phone.  They will arrive in your mailbox within a week.
7. Stream a television series from your childhood.  Mission Impossible is still an incredible show—much more intelligent, intriguing, and suspenseful than the Tom Cruise film versions.  Gunsmoke, Law and Order, and The Simpsons tie for the longest running television series (20 years).  That’s a lot of binging time.
8. Check in with friends and family to let them know how you are doing.  Call a friend and have a long talk.  Call an empty-nester (though the SIPO may have reversed his status).
9. Make a summer playlist, because summer will come.  For that matter, make a Christmas playlist.  I made a Motown playlist.  It was like choosing between your children—Marvin Gaye or Smokey Robinson.
10. Take advantage of the library’s pandemic curbside service.  I consider it an absolute luxury to order the books I want and then drive by the library to have them delivered to me curbside.  Add some chocolate cake, and I’m in heaven!
11. Read a book and then watch the film adaptation of it.  If you enjoy historical fiction, Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Thomas Cromwell is a nice long read.  In the words of an NPR reporter, the volumes are doorstops.  For a scholar of nineteenth-century literature, that’s a compliment.  PBS’s Masterpiece Theater has adapted the first and second books, Wolf Hall and Bring up the Bodies, into a series.  The third novel, The Mirror and the Light, is newly released.  I snagged a copy from the library before the SIPO (Thank you, NPR!); I’m rationing it to myself (you would be surprised how quickly 754 pages can go).  The best mystery I have read is Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver who based the novel on a 1952 murder case in which he was the defense attorney.  The book was a lucky find in a dusty Manhattan bookshop where the owner was surly, the books dusty and arranged in no particular order, and no one bothered you for hours.  The 1959 film version was directed by Otto Preminger and stars Jimmy Stewart.  Fun fact:  The actor who played the judge in the film, Joseph Nye Welch, was actually the lawyer who famously confronted Joseph McCarthy during one of the senator’s communist activities subcommittee meetings, “Have you no sense of decency, sir? At long last, have you left no sense of decency?”  Another fun fact:  Duke Ellington composed the music for the film. Play with your pets, preferably a puppy.  They have an infinite capacity for joy.  It will rub off on you.
12. Pack your emergency go-bag for a different type of disaster and place it near an exit.  A friend convinced me to pack mine.  It’s a surprisingly reassuring task to accomplish.
13. Take the Census.  For each person (baby, child, teenager, young adult, adult, senior) who goes uncounted, McLennan County will lose thousands of dollars per person per year for the next 10 years!  The Census supports: voting access, income security, medicare/Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), & Headstart.  Go to 2020census.gov.  The deadline to take it has been extended.

Your Family

The SIPO has you sequestered at home with your family.  Now that you are homeschooling your children, you have new-found respect for teachers, right?  One friend of mine had to video her son practicing his music homework and then post it via an app.  She said that figuring out how to post that assignment nearly drove her to drink.  Even children who had flown the nest are back at home living in their childhood bedrooms.  And let’s not talk about what it’s like for both you and your partner to be working from home.  At the end of the day, all family members could just retreat to their corners and huddle with their phones.  However, we can use this moment to connect meaningfully with our families, deepen our relationships with our partners, redefine our relationships with our college-aged children (they are adults now), learn together, and just have a good time.

1. Have at least one meal a day with the whole family.  Play the phone game during dinner (rules below).  While you are playing the phone game, talk to each other.  Set a topic for discussion.  Start with something interesting and fun:  What music are you listening to these days?  Rules:  All phones go in a basket in the center of the table within everybody’s reach.  Each person gets 5 dimes, nickels, or quarters (you decide what you want the stakes to be).  Throughout the meal, each time a person reaches for his phone, he must toss a coin in the basket.  Whoever has the most coins left at the end of dinner wins. This is a light-hearted way to keep the family away from phones during meals. 
2. Put a jigsaw puzzle together as a family.  Remember those?  Don’t have any at home?  Drug Emporium has some delightful animal puzzles.  The Dollar Stores have a variety of puzzles.  Dash in and out quickly.
3. Play a boardgame.  Now you have enough time to play a never-ending Monopoly game.  Zathura forces players to collaborate to win—great for squabbling siblings.  You only have to know your colors and numbers to play Uno.
4. Use Zoom to get together with your family.  There are other video conferencing platforms; use the one that works for you.  My family had a Zoom birthday party for my nephew who was turning 30.  My son and I made cookies for him and mailed them to him.  The whole family attended a Zoom meeting to wish him well and watch him open his cards and presents.  He loved it and we were all “there” on his milestone birthday.
5. Call extended family members to check on them.  Your great-aunt would love to hear from you.
6. Have each family member write a letter to herself to be opened on New Year’s Day 2021.  Setting a later date will be hard for young ones to conceive.  Seal them and put them in a special canister.  Craft idea:  Decorate a shoe box or oatmeal canister to use to place the letters in.  There; I’ve included crafts.  Personal note:  crafts make me anxious.  Since this is the twenty-first century, each family member could create a video addressed to himself and save it to the Cloud for later viewing.
7. Have each family member make a top-ten favorite movies list (one each for best sports film, drama, mystery, buddy cop movie, western, animal movie, animated/children’s movie, horror flick, science-fiction film, comedy).  Share the list with each other; a great conversation will ensue.
8. Create a family book club.  As a family, read a book and then watch the film of the book.  Then discuss both.  The Call of the Wild comes to mind—short enough for everyone to get through, exciting enough to hold everyone’s attention, and easily understood by all.  This is a great book to read to young ones who can’t read yet.  You can get a free full-text copy of The Call of the Wild and other books at www.Gutenberg.org.
9. Teach your teenager to caramelize onions.  Learning to do so will teach him patience and provide him with a skill to impress a date when he’s in his twenties.
10. Organize your recipe box.  Identify family recipes and write an explanation about who gave you the recipe, when it is made, and why it’s a favorite.  In my family, I make bacon and cheese quick bread only for Christmas morning breakfast and dressing quiche the day after Thanksgiving.  Use the family recipes to plan a week of meals.  Get each family member to help prep the meals.  Chopping vegetables in the correct portions can teach fractions.  Why is a fourth of a cup smaller than a third of a cup?
11. Make and send greeting cards for people who have lost loved ones.  People are dying from COVID-19 and other ailments.  All are unable to funeralize their loved ones with cherished rituals.  A note from someone acknowledging their loss can help ease their grief.

Your Community

We miss our friends, church members, work colleagues, yoga class, team members, club members, our children’s teachers, the daycare staff, the lady at the gas station, the department secretary, the custodians, and so many others.  Again, social distancing should not mean social isolation.  We can reach out to our community to let them know we are thinking of them.  We can also perform real acts of support for each other.

1. Write an old-fashioned letter to friends, relatives, seniors and isolated individuals.  At first, they will be puzzled (what is this thing in my mailbox that’s not a bill?); then they will be delighted.  Don’t want to write a letter; send a postcard.  Not into snail mail.  Pay twenty bucks and send a digital JacquieDawson.com card.
2. Make homemade greeting cards.  Use anything to make them—magazines, coloring book pages, canned good wrappings, pretty recipe cards.  Mail them to church members on the shut-in list, a local nursing home, or assisted living facility.
3. Check on your neighbors.  If you are young, let elderly neighbors know that you will pick up items from the grocery or pharmacy for them.  Have a chat outside your house.  I chatted with a widow down the street from me; she stood in her yard, I stood on the street. 
4. Take a walk in your neighborhood.  You will meet neighbors you never knew you had—at six feet apart.  Everyone will be out walking to alleviate cabin fever, and everyone will greet you with gusto and a smile.  They will be happy to see someone besides their family members.
5. Write a thank-you note to essential workers (a grocery store stocker, clerk, pharmacist, nurse, doctor, respiratory therapist, prison guard).  Put them in a large envelop and mail them to a local hospital (identify them on the outside as thank-you notes).  Give one to the cashier when you check out at Walmart, HEB, or Aldi’s.
6. Food pantries across the county are seeing much greater numbers of people needing help.  The next time you make a grocery run, pick up extra groceries and drop them off at a food pantry or center for the homeless.  Frequented needed items:  canned meat, canned fruit, bottled water, condiments, pasta, peanut butter, toilet paper, and toiletries (I collect miniature toiletries from hotels to donate.). 
7. Much needed items at homeless shelters, domestic abuse centers, pantries, and charities are feminine hygiene products.  Many girls get feminine hygiene products from school nurses; with schools closed, there is a real need.  Compounding the problem is the fact that women and girls are embarrassed to ask for these products. 
8. Since we are sheltering in place, it might be easier to make a monetary donation.  There are numerous places in Waco that you can donate to online:  Shepherd’s Heart, Carver Park Pantry, Caritas, the Salvation Army, Paulanne’s Pantry and many others. 
9. Did I say TAKE THE CENSUS?  For each person (baby, child, teenager, young adult, adult, senior) who goes uncounted, McLennan County will lose thousands of dollars per person per year for the next 10 years!  The Census supports: voting access, income security, medicare/Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), & Headstart.  Go to 2020census.gov.  The deadline to take it has been extended.

Each day of the coronavirus pandemic confirms what poet John Donne wrote nearly 400 years ago: “No man is an island entire of itself / every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main.”  Let us remember Donne’s words and embrace this opportunity to care for one another.

Peaches Henry is an English professor at McLennan Community College.  She is currently teaching online and sheltering in place with her eight-month old black Labrador puppy and her son who has returned home from law school.

By Jennifer Salazar, Program Director of the Texas Senior Medicare Patrol, The Better Business Bureau Education Foundation

Scammers use public health emergencies as opportunities for new fraud schemes. In fact, The Federal Trade Commission has already received complaints about stimulus checks scams.

As you may know, the government is preparing to distribute stimulus checks to help provide relief to households due to the COVID 19 crises. Things you need to know:

• Individuals with adjusted gross incomes of less than $75,000 should expect to receive $1200 with couples receiving $2400, and $500 per child.
• The rate is adjusted if the gross income is more than $75,000. This will be based on your 2019 tax return, or 2018 if you haven’t filed yet for 2019. Please keep in mind that it is estimated to take weeks for these checks to be distributed.
• Your stimulus check will be directly deposited into your bank account if funds you received from your 2018 tax return were directly deposited. Otherwise your paper check will arrive by mail.
• Social security beneficiaries will automatically receive a stimulus check via direct deposit. There is no need to complete any tax information. The IRS will automatically use what the Social Security Administration has on file.

Scammers are already using this opportunity to steal the money coming your way or your identity by getting access to your personal information. Keep in mind; no one has early access to these funds! Beware of the following scams:

• Fake Stimulus Checks. There are fake checks circulating right now. It will take at least three weeks for direct deposits to land and up to 10 weeks for paper checks to arrive by mail. If you receive any checks now, it is a fraud. Telltale signs are checks written in odd amounts or include cents, or a check that requires you to verify receipt online or by calling a number.
• Social media, phone calls, or text messages claiming to get in touch with you. Scammers are reaching out to people online on social media platforms or by sending text messages with claims they are from the IRS or other government agency and are trying to get in touch with you regarding your stimulus check. Ignore/Delete these messages. The U.S. Government will never reach out to you via any social media platform or by text.
• Scammers pose as a government agency and will send a link to this website or something similar for you to verify personal information. The government does not do this. The government already has the information they need and will not reach out to you for verification of your social security number or other personal identification.
• Processing Fee. Scammers pose as the IRS or other government agency claiming you can receive your stimulus check faster if you pay a processing fee. There is no such thing and there is no way to speed up the IRS payment process.

The IRS will never call or email you to verify any personal information. This includes your social security number, bank account number, or anything that allows access to your identity.

As soon as you receive a call or email saying they are from the IRS or U.S. Treasury, hang up or delete it. These scammers are professional criminals and will use a variety of methods to steal your personal identification and your money.

Texas Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) is ready to provide you with the information you need to PROTECT yourself from Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse; DETECT potential fraud, errors, and abuse; and REPORT your concerns.

Your SMP can help with your questions, concerns, or complaints about potential fraud and abuse issues. It also can provide information and educational presentations.

Texas Senior Medicare Patrol 1-888-341-6187