PANDEMIC
UPDATES
Monday, August 3, 2020
A Message from Kathleen Stauffer,
CEO of The Arc Eastern Connecticut
Hello again Everyone—
I hope you are managing to stay cool! The Arc Eastern Connecticut’s partial reopening July 15 was a success, thanks to the foresight and planning of Chief Quality and Operations Officer Laurie Herring and The Arc ECT’s reopening committee, as well as you, our valued Team Members.
We continuing to work toward safely bringing back everyone we support. Even our Classic Crunch Chocolate Chip Cookie microbusiness is slowly reopening under the guidance of Chef Kim Sandberg and our new Director of Community Enterprise, Jennifer Ricci. I would like to thank Jennifer for stepping forward to ensure the quality and profitability of The Arc ECT’s microbusinesses. Jennifer continues to serve as Director of Employment Services in the northeast region.
TESTING!
Would you like to be tested for the Coronavirus? The Arc ECT will host a FREE one-day drive-through COVID-19 testing site, sponsored by our partner UCFS, on August 13 from 9:30-11:30 am in our Sachem Street parking lot in Norwich. Please click here for more information.
PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL YOUR LEGISLATORS!
Please contact your representatives and urge them to amend the Heals Act to include Medicaid Home and Community Based Services. AND … please ask them to REVERSE the new state policy that prohibits non-profits from receiving additional COVID-19 Relief funding following receipt of a PPP loan (which The Arc ECT has done). The Arc ECT has already spent $600,000 in COVID-related expenses to provide our team members with Personal Protective Equipment, hazard incentives and facility reconfiguration. The agency will lose COVID relief funds that would cover these expenses if this policy is allowed to stand! At the Arc ECT, safety matters. It is not optional! Click here to contact Governor Lamont, Senator Murphy, Senator Blumenthal AND ESPECIALLY YOUR LOCAL LEGISLATORS to reverse this disastrous state policy that puts people in jeopardy.
STRIDES ROAD RACE!
Our much-loved 43rd Strides Road Race is going virtual this year. Please support this race. More info will be coming soon.
If you haven’t already done so, please take a moment to listen to our 4th podcast: “Lessons Learned in Quarantine.” We discuss the specific tasks, procedures and protocols that have been put in place to ensure the safety and health of you, our team members, and also of the people we support.
Please remember to take some time to enjoy the sunshine!
This Week's Recipe
At last—a reason to collect zucchini!
Grilled Veggie Pizza
The time has come when you look around you, and whether
you have a garden or not, you seem to have accumulated
a Vesuvian pile of squash, zucchini, peppers and tomatoes.
Fear not! That summer savior is here: pizza—the friend to
all vegetables. Plus, grilling them first makes this pizza
extra yummy. This recipe calls for a store-bought pre-made
crust, but if you wanted to make your own, go right ahead.
But it’s summer, and hot, so give yourself a break!
Ingredients
-
(for one 12’ pizza—but why stop there? Make several! Just increase the ingredients accordingly)
-
3 tablespoons olive oil
-
3 garlic cloves, minced
-
3 medium tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch slices
-
1 large sweet red pepper, halved, stemmed and seeded (if you don’t have red, use green—why not?)
-
1 small zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch slices
-
1 small onion, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
-
1 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
-
1 prebaked 12-inch pizza crust
-
1/3 cup spreadable garden vegetable cream cheese
-
8 slices smoked provolone cheese (or a favorite substitute), divided
-
1/2 cup minced fresh basil, divided
-
1/4 cup shredded carrots
-
1 tablespoon minced fresh oregano
-
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
Directions
-
Mix oil and garlic; brush onto both sides of vegetables. Sprinkle with pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat until tender, 4-5 minutes per side for pepper and onion, 3-4 minutes per side for zucchini, 2-3 minutes per side for tomatoes.
-
Coarsely chop pepper, onion and zucchini. Spread pizza crust with cream cheese; layer with 4 slices provolone and tomato slices (the cheese slices keep the tomato from getting the pizza soggy). Sprinkle with 1/4 cup basil, carrots, oregano and thyme. Top with grilled vegetables, then remaining cheese.
-
Grill pizza, covered, over medium heat until bottom is golden brown and cheese is melted, 5-7 minutes. Top with remaining basil.
No grill? No problem. Saute the veggies and then bake the pizza (preferably on a pizza stone, but a pan will do) on a low oven rack (375-425 degrees) for 5-7 minutes.
Get creative! Look once more on your mountain of vegetables and add different ones.