Page 18 - June/June HER 2020

18 JUNE HER
HER Cover
the “core group,” and her volun- teers, all while stocking up on sup- plies she thought they may need.
“Right now in Garland County, nearly one in three people are living at poverty level. That was before COVID, so I don’t know what that’s going to do. It’s sort of scary to think about it,” she said.
“We started making plans when I first started hearing about this illness back in like January. I think by February, we were having board meetings with some of the mem- bers because I have retired physi- cians, a current pharmacist, and a certified EMT who helped guide our decisions.”
Smith said she immediately be- gan placing orders for personal protective equipment and putting together operation manuals cover- ing everything from how to carry out daily operations to what to do in an emergency situation. She also made the decision to send most of her volunteers home, keeping her “core crew” intact.
“Right now, it’s really, really important that we keep our core crew. I sent all my volunteers home. Most of them are consid- ered in the high-risk category be-
18 JUNE/JULY 2020 ¯ HER MAGAZINE