Originally Posted by sopas ej (Post 8860967)

I'm no longer a practicing Catholic (I've become Buddhist/Atheist), but this is a big deal for Catholics. And it's Lent right now. And for a Catholic, prayer and worship are the same thing; prayer isn't just asking for things; a (devout) Catholic recites traditional prayers every day. It's almost like being a Muslim. That's what church bells are (originally) for; they are calls to prayer.

Originally Posted by dave8721 (Post 8861099)

Schools closing in Miami-Dade starting Monday. Parents and businesses will be scrambling even more.

Originally Posted by dave8721 (Post 8861099)

Schools closing in Miami-Dade starting Monday. Parents and businesses will be scrambling even more.

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc (Post 8860551)

I'm a social worker, and got a grim email this morning from the state Department of Health and Human Services:

-- Expect a spike in occurrences of domestic violence, child physical abuse, and child sexual abuse, same as occurs on holidays or any other occasion when there is forced togetherness.

-- Expect children to go hungry if the schools close, because a lot of families cannot make up for the meal(s) the child won't be getting at school.

-- Expect a lot of foster families to request respite, where the child is temporarily housed somewhere else, or a change in placement where the child is completely removed from that foster home and placed in another. Expect this due to complications in finding childcare if the schools close.

-- Visits between parents and children go on, even if all of the staff but one is out sick.

-- "Deep clean" any rooms or facilities used for visitation. No further guidance.

-- In-home services and investigations continue. If one staff member falls ill, find another, and keep going until you run out of staff.

-- Many children are in the care of elderly kinship caregivers. Prepare for these caregivers to be ill or to die.

-- Expect the illness to sweep group homes and psychiatric residential treatment facilities

-- Fewer than 3% of youth who age out of foster care end up getting a 4-year college degree. Many of those who do, are living on college campuses -- if those campuses close their residential facilities, those youth will be effectively homeless.

Basically, the thrust of the email's gist was, "SURPRISE!! Here's a nasty present -- have fun figuring out how to deal with all of this! :))

Originally Posted by The North One (Post 8860364)

I'm so glad that I have a bidet.

Originally Posted by WonderlandPark3 (Post 8861486)

Go out and patronize restaurants, this is going to be devastating to small businesses. Just went for drinks and appetizers at a Peruvian place that should be hoppin' full on a friday and it was crickets, our group of 3 and 1 other table of 4 in a place with probably 35 tables and bar seating. Really feel for them.

Originally Posted by sopas ej (Post 8860903)

I was wondering if/when this would happen:

The Los Angeles Archdiocese (the largest Roman Catholic Archdiocese in the US) is telling parishioners not to go to Sunday Mass, lifting the obligation for the next 3 weeks.

Proof that even churches don't think prayer is enough? :P

Originally Posted by hauntedheadnc (Post 8861494)

That's my plan unless and until things get truly apocalyptic. And if it looks like they're going to, then I'm going to buy a passel of gift cards so the places I care about will have my money while they need it.

I've also noticed this is bringing out the best in some people. Some people are offering pet food, milk, paper goods, canned food, preserves, even frozen breast milk for free here on the Facebook exchanges to others who need it.