Brighter Days Ahead
by Trevor Meek
BROOKLINE, MA — It’s been a challenging year: masks, lockdowns, family gatherings over Zoom, unemployment, and, of course, the unfathomable loss of life that we have seen on the news every day. Tragically, too many of us have experienced firsthand the sudden loss of loved ones this past year. It’s been a year to forget, but one which we likely never will. Yet, as ever, the Specialized Housing community has remained resilient and, especially with vaccines now being distributed, hopeful.
Liz Fossum moved into her Cambridge SHI home in January of last year. Or, to be more precise, as she happily explained at the time of our interview, “I moved in one year, three weeks, and five days ago.” For this reporter who has spent much of the past year in lockdown questioning time as a concept and referring to every day as Blursday, I found the optimistic tone in Liz’s calculation entirely refreshing. I had to ask—has this past year, three weeks, and five days been at all difficult for you? “Actually,” she paused, “it’s been pretty easy. I’ve enjoyed being at home with my housemates. And playing the new Nintendo Wii that Sakle (House Manager) ordered for us!” Like many of us Liz keeps herself busy with a daily array of Zoom calls. As an alumni of Lesley University she has access to a variety of Lesley hosted online classes, exercise programs and even a chorus group on Sundays.
Liz was just settling in to her new home when the lockdown began in March of last year. Pre-pandemic, she was a volunteer at a local nursing home and also volunteered her time at First Church in Cambridge. When the lockdown began both the nursing home and First Church suspended their volunteer programs. “I miss seeing them every day,” Liz told me, referring to her friends and fellow volunteers at both locations. “I was very excited to get my second shot yesterday, and it might take a month or two, but I’ll eventually get back there.” Other than a sore arm, Liz says that she is feeling great after receiving the second dose of the vaccine. We can only hope that the arm soreness won’t negatively impact her Wii bowling skills.
Alex Kane from South Portland tells me that he, too, has a sore arm. Alex is a resident of one of the two SHI homes in Maine. Both of the Maine houses hosted COVID-19 vaccination clinics in coordination with the Maine CDC for residents and staff in late January, and again for second doses in late February. “I was nervous that it would be painful the first time — I don’t like needles,” Alex told me over the phone the day after he’d received the second dose, “but it’s just a sore arm, and that’s about it.”
Before the lockdown began Alex worked at Hannaford Supermarket. Like many Special-ized Housing residents he had to take an extended leave of absence for his own safety, and the safety of his housemates, staff, and loved ones. The forfeiture of a job in the past year is a sacrifice with which residents across the SHI community are unfortunately all too familiar. Approximately half of the SHI residents who were employed in January 2020 were unemployed by January 2021. However, with the rapid introduction of vaccines and the decline in COVID cases, residents are beginning to return to work. “I’m back at Hannaford,” Alex says proudly. “I’m part-time for now, just to see that I can work on my own again after being away so long. It’s good to be back.” Now that he’s been vaccinated, Alex is also very exited to be able to spend more time with his parents. “Wearing masks and washing your hands all the time probably isn’t going away any time soon. But I’m looking forward to going on vacation with my family again!”
According to the CDC website, “COVID-19 vaccines that require two shots may not protect you until a week or two after your second shot.” Many of us, like Alex, are eager to get back out into the world and won’t hesitate a second longer than we have to. And just as many of us, like Liz, will continue to take extra precautions and remain patient as we slowly re-introduce ourselves to the community. Whatever your approach, we can all agree that it looks like brighter days are ahead.
Top: SHI community members get their COVID-19 vaccines. Center: SHI resident Liz Fossum. Bottom: Ron Haddad of Arlington was the very first person in the SHI community to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.