Let’s stick together.
Wow! Who would have ever predicted the start of 2020 would affect us as it has? Yes, I’m talking about the Coronavirus.
We have all been touched by it somehow. From not being able to purchase the items we need, to not keeping our regular routine at work, to the loss of simple freedoms like going to the park, to not being able to meet friends at a favorite restaurant—it’s been unprecedented.
While our lives have been altered in one way or another, we are most impacted by the changes in spending time with our community. One of the places it hits the hardest is not being able to be face to face with those we love. Many of us are unable to hug one another at a time when we could use a hug the most.
When I think of how this new season of distancing feels, I can’t help but think of the women of Omega. Many have shared with us the loneliness that they face every day.
Their lives were already full of distancing. Most did not have easy access to the basic things they needed, much less what they wanted. Many were already lacking jobs or necessary resources for job skills training.
Some of our women have felt shame and low self-esteem because of their past. It may have been an abusive relationship or a hidden addiction that led them to isolation and sadness.
Imagine not being able to share your failures, your thoughts, and your struggles with someone you trust. What if there were no one with whom to share your achievements or victories?
What if you weren’t even sure you were worth loving?
It’s hard for most of us to imagine, but for many of our interns, those feelings have been their “normal.” This time of social distancing and what is being called “a new normal” doesn’t feel all that foreign to them. They have lived before with these feelings of isolation and loneliness.
But, there is light at the end of this tunnel.
In this time, each of us has an opportunity to understand how others might feel. The loneliness and isolation are only temporary. The strength and confidence we can bring to others are life-giving.
The team of Omega along with you and our family of our partnering coffee shops join forces to bring light to the darkness that our interns face.
Together, we strive to show them the love Jesus Christ gives.
Together, we remind them of their value.
Together, we walk alongside them as they begin to find their confidence, their meaning, and their true worth.
While we wait with you for the return of “ordinary,” we anticipate with great excitement the extraordinary hope that lies ahead—together.
Rod Cottis
OEB Board Member