COVID-19 Updates and Resources

 

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Recommended for Corps Ministries

Policies & Guidelines

SAMIS During Covid
Guidelines are available on the Departmental FAQ page, click the blue button to log in with My Army credentials.

Funeral Information
Guidelines are available on the Departmental FAQ page, click the blue button to log in with My Army credentials.

Virtual Discipleship Guidelines
Best Practices for Safe Digital Discipleship

Regathering Corps Ministries
Download:  Regathering Corps- COVID-19  (PDF)
Here is the comprehensive Corps Regathering document, with guidelines for
Sunday Worship, Children & Youth, Music and PPE.


CPR - Update

The following CPR guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic are taken from the Heart and Stroke website.  Ministry Units are reminded to:

• ensure staff secure and make use of their own PPE before proceeding with CPR
• continue to work with their local Public Health and follow recommended guidelines.    read more....

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TITHES AND OFFERING

Set Up Pre-Authorized giving for Members
Customizable form and instruction sheet.

PAD Authorization Form 
PAD Instruction Letter

Informational bulletin insert: Pre-Auth-bulletin-insert.pdf 

Offering Plate Cards - Give these out to members who have set up payments, so they can participate in the public act of giving. (Print on Business Cards)  PAD-Giving-Card



Use this graphic and link to the online payment form, on your corps website for members to make regular contributions.

 

 

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Recommended for Community & Family Services

A comprehensive document with everything you need to know:
Community & Family Services FAQ

Some ideas in line with the government recommendations:

1.  Reduce or remove seats in waiting area, so that visitors are a safe distance apart.
2.  Request clients to call ahead and set up an appointment.  
3.  Provide regular clients with a pre-packaged bag of supplies.
4.  Clean the common area, and areas touched, between each client.
5.  Ensure workers keep a safe distance from clients, perhaps leaving bags at appointed times, just inside the door.
6.  Provide gloves for workers sorting donations from the public.
7.  Provide hand sanitizer or disinfectant wipes for workers and visitors.
8.  Remove all magazines in waiting area.
9.  Provide helpful information handouts - especially for clients who may have limited access to news and media.

COVID-19 Multi-Language Information Sheet.pdf
COVID-19 Multi-Language Information Sheet FR.pdf

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Helping Newcomers with English

Many newcomers are no longer able to attend in-person ESL classes. Others were on wait-lists for ESL classes which will now be delayed even longer. Social and Physical Distancing is hard for everyone and it is important to find ways to keep connected with our neighbours.  Here are some resources to help newcomers continue practising their language skills and make new connections during a time of physical and social isolation.

Mango Languages

Available for free through most major city public libraries or try it for free on their website. The online courses help learn and practice English, French, and many other world languages. https://mangolanguages.com/

Speak   https://www.speak.social/en/

Learn a language and meet people online!

Groups of 4-7 people meet through online forums to learn and practice different languages

Worry & Anxiety - Multi language information
Helpful information in many languages. Psychology Tools/Worry and Anxiety


Other Ideas

If your Corps or Community & Family Services has an existing English Conversation Circle, try moving the group online through Zoom video conference calls or Whatsapp conference calls (many newcomers already have the app on their phones). If it is a large group, you may want to divide into 4-8 people to make it easier include everyone on screens.  

Make new connections between Corps members and (willing) Community Services Clients to help newcomers practice their English one-on-one. Make sure to check after the first call to make sure both sides feel comfortable continuing. The conversations do not need to me longer than about 15 minutes, on a weekly basis. Topics could include food, customs, cultural difference between Canada and their home country, etc.

Ontario Public Health – information sheet available in 28 different languages

https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus#section-15

How to talk to kids about COVID-19, now in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese

https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/how-talk-your-child-about-coronavirus-covid-19

COVID-19 mythbusting – now in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Russian

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public/myth-busters

General information from WHO about COVID-19 – videos in English, French, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Persian, Hindi, Turkish, and more being added every day

https://openwho.org/courses/introduction-to-ncov

IMMIGRANT & REFUGEE INFORMATION

Here are two documents outlining an overview of Impact of COVD-19 on Immigration and COVID-19 Economic Response Plan for newcomers from RSTP (Refugee Sponsorship Training Program).

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 OTHER GREAT RESOURCES

Virtual Bible Studies   

Check out resources from RightNowMedia (TSA Registration Information). 

You can organize virtual studies by asking your members to sign up (free), set a time to view the study.  There are many ways to get small groups toget

her online virtually to discuss the study - even simple ways such as posting a discussion post on Facebook and have

everyone comment. You can also check into FB Group Chats, Skype Groups, Zoom.