 Welcome to Longmont Voices and Vision, a project of Longmont Public Media. In the midst of the darkest period in our lives, when we're bombarded 24 hours a day with news of the coronavirus and the human and economic carnage it's causing in our society, we're challenged to cope with our fears and anxieties, we're remaining hopeful about what lies on the other side of this crisis. This project presents an opportunity for Longmont residents to share with others how they're adjusting to new realities of social distancing and the kind of future they hope to experience on the other side of the crisis. I'm Tim Waters, host of these conversations in a Longmont Public Media Volunteer. In this series, I'll be asking Longmont residents, many of them your friends and neighbors, three questions. What are you doing to get through this crisis? Even though we cannot be together right now, how are we staying connected to friends and families? And what's the future you are hoping to see and experience on the other side of this crisis? I hope you'll stay with this series and enjoy listening to your friends and neighbors and learn from them how they're getting through and what they're looking forward to in a new reality on the other side. Kate Gattis, thank you for your willingness to contribute to the Longmont Voices and Vision Project. And thank you as well for the many other contributions you make to this community because I know there are a bunch of them. So it would be a good way to start this interview by learning something about you. So tell us about Kate Gattis and what you do that translate into these other contributions. Great. Thank you, Tim. It's really my pleasure to be here with you today. So thank you for inviting me. So I am the executive director of a woman's work, which is a nonprofit that serves the boundaries of the St. Rain Valley School District. And I have been doing that for it'll be six years on June 3rd that I have been the director. Prior to being the director, I was on the board for several years. And so I've been involved really since the very beginning of a woman's work, which was where formed in 2003. A woman's work is a, as I said, a nonprofit. We serve women who have emergency financial needs for one reason or another. We provide monetary grants. Our average grant size is about $1,200. And it's when a woman has some unforeseen circumstance that causes them not to be able to pay their bills for a period of time. We'll come in, provide some financial relief in the form of a one-time grant and then they're on their way, hopefully. So we've been doing this, as I said, since 2003, and we are celebrating our 17th anniversary this year. I have to say, because of the connection that my wife in particular has with the woman's work, it is one of the great stories of people reaching out this person to person with a hand up. In the country, I'm sure. It's remarkable in terms of what's happened here. So thanks again for all of that. You know, Kate, I'm going to ask you three questions here. The first is, in this experience we're all going through of stay-at-home orders or now we're transitioning into safe-at-home orders. But the isolation we're experiencing, everybody's trying to figure out how to get themselves through this with all the unknowns, the uncertainties and the kind of fear that goes along with that. How are you doing that for you? Well, you know, the truth is it's a day-to-day endeavor. Some days I'm in a really good mood about it and some days I'm in a really crummy mood about it. So there have been some wild changes in my mood about it as we progress through it. I'm at home with my husband and my two kids, my husband John, and my son Grant is 15 and my daughter Claire is 12. And so we're all hunkered down here together. That provides some structure in some ways, but it also provides chaos in other ways. It's helpful that, you know, this homeschooling thing or the schooling at home that's taking place has been actually a real blessing. I know it's difficult for many. I feel like I'm grateful because my kids are just old enough that I don't quite have to micromanage every moment of their days. But it's providing some structure to our days. We have to get up, we have to get ready. We have to, you know, we've sort of all set up our different spots in the house where we do our work. My husband's working from home as well and I'm working and actually in some ways I'm busier than I've ever been with work because of the type of work we do. We are, I'm very, very busy. So, so my kids back to them they're providing their schedule with school is providing a structure for all of us. We've adopted some airport rules in terms of when we eat meals and when we go to bed and when we get up. So it's been a little bit more flexible than typical, but we're trying the best we can to just have some day-to-day structure where we get up, we get ready, we, you know, sit down to our work. From a real personal perspective, my work is providing me a lot of purpose right now. And, you know, I was saying how busy we've been because we help women with emergency financial needs to stay at home orders and people needing to leave their work. It's causing real financial strife in our community and in communities across the country and world as you, as you know, but we are coming in and helping in those situations. So it's been, it's been nice to, I'm grateful that we do the work we do. I'm always grateful for the work women's work does, but because I think it makes a real difference, but it's from a personal point of view, it's been nice because I've really, it's given me a real distinct purpose every day when I awaken. I get up and I have a lot to do right now to try to help meet those needs in the community, even though I'm doing it from home in a way that we typically don't. There's still a lot of work to be done. Additionally, I, I take, I walk or run every day with my dogs and it's become a joke because the dogs are kind of over it. They're exhausted and sort of over the walks. And I've been listening to a ton of podcasts. You know, just Renee Brown is sort of my favorite right now I listen to her a lot and I come home and I sit John down my husband and I say, Okay, here are the things we have to talk about today these are the things so it's become kind of one long therapy session for John's estimation, but, but it's good we've talked through a lot of stuff and, you know, but so most days are pretty good I have the days where I just sit on the couch and we binge watch something all day and we don't get a whole lot done and there are other days that I've been fearful and, you know, sort of without hope about things but you know the trajectory is mostly optimistic and looking looking good but but it's it's a challenge it's certainly been an adjustment for all of us. Yeah. And given that challenge and given part of what's creating that challenge is the order to be physically separated from one another socially distanced from one another. As we're kind of hunkered down in our homes. The challenge is staying connected now you have your, your kids and your husband before the nuclear family together, but those are not the old I know you come from a big family I know that you have many others outside the family who with whom you need to be connected. So how is that how are you staying connected to friends and family. You know, I'm really just so grateful for the technology that exists right now if this had happened, you know, 2030 years ago it would be a very different landscape that we all found ourselves in and so there is zoom. You know, as we're doing this interview has become really a staple of how I'm even able to do my work I'm not I have a board of a woman's work we have a board of 16 women. And all of whom, as you know, because Jeannie was a part of that board for many years work very hard to, you know, to effectuate our mission. And without the ability to sort of converse and gather in a zoom call it would be a lot harder to get our work done. So, zoom has become a staple of the way I do my work but it's also become a staple in the way I've sort of socialized it's not quite the same of course but you know I've done a happy hour with my book club and we talked about the book we had all just read and we on Easter we had a zoom call with my family and John's family sort of one earlier in the day and one later in the day and you know we played there's a way you can play games I don't know if you found that yet but you can play games through zoom and you do it on your device and it all shows up on the screen so I'm grateful for all the technology that exists. Some of the things that have been hardest for me as I mentioned earlier that I've been running and walking I have a running partner that I've run with for. Oh, I don't know 10 years maybe, and we haven't been able to run together and you know really she and I solve all the problems of the world every morning when we go for a run and so it's that's been hard for me so she and I will. head out for a walk and I'll put my headphones in and I'll talk while I'm walking with her so those kinds of things have been helpful. And you know, one of the real blessings has been that I've gotten to know my neighbors better we talk over the fence a little bit more we one of my neighbors hosted a driveway happy hour we all sat in our lawn chairs you know about six to 12 feet apart and just chatted for a period of time and I've always liked my neighbors but we don't see a whole lot of them typically because you know a two with a 15 year old and a 12 year old and both john and myself working we're back and forth a lot we're not often just sort of at home, able to hang out so that's really how I've stayed connected it's been it's an interesting study with the four of us here because my daughter and I are extroverts in that we. We get energy from being with people where my husband who he's an outgoing guy but he's actually very much introverted and my son is very introverted they don't really need as much social interaction as my daughter and I do. And so it's been interesting to watch in some ways they're really kind of living their best life and and aren't miss it they don't miss that quite as much but Claire and I got her. It's it's a little painful sometimes so we have to be really intentional about scheduling time to speak with and interact with even if it's not in the flesh face to face over zoom calls and FaceTime and whatnot so it's been an interesting study and our differences in our family. My third question is really a forward or future focused question. And that is based on the presumption that that on the other side of this pandemic, a new normal will emerge that we will emerge from this but life may look different than it did before the pandemic. The question is, based on that presumption. What's your preferred future what would you like to see us move toward and what would you like to help create as a preferred future. You know, so some of the things that I've seen emerging in during this time are there are two main two main ones. First, we, I think everybody but we have really slowed down the pace of our days, our days. I have this chalkboard that we have in our kitchen that I typically write down everything we have to do over the course of the day and my kids in the morning come down and look at the chalkboard and they know that we have work in school today and then we have soccer practice and then we might have an appointment. I list all of it out every day and I've done that for years. And the chalkboard is really pretty blank these days I write I still write on it every day. I write work in school and, you know, maybe work out and, you know, maybe zoom call with some friends that kind of thing but it's our pace is so much slower and I really I mean, though I'm missing parts of the things we used to do. I'm really grateful that, you know, I joked earlier that John and I is like one big long therapy session but gosh we've really gotten to talk and work and talk through things and give our opinions and in a way that you know when you get busy with life you don't you can't do. And same with my kids I said to John not too long ago I said I think, even though there have been some really awful things out of this. I think I will look back at this time with with gratitude because I've been able to just be with my kids and. And not that I didn't know him before but get to know him on even a deeper level because there's nobody else to talk to so I my hope and I don't know quite how we do that but my hope is that the pace. I didn't have to ramp up to where it was before that we can all just slow down a little bit and be much more intentional in our relationships and our interactions. Thoughtful about how we schedule our days and so that's one of the things I'm, I'm really hopeful for. Again I don't know how how we do that, except that I do know that as we come out of this there. I'm a transition so I hopefully we're just all a little more thoughtful about how we pick and choose to fill our days going forward. The other part about it and this is something that I feel grateful that I've actually gotten to see before the pandemic pandemic because of my role at a woman's work, but there's been this sort of collective rapping. In terms of, we're all sort of rising to the occasion and wrapping our arms around the people that need help, whether that's our neighbor who is immunocompromised and can't go to the grocery store so we check in with them and say hey can I get you something. I can't tell you how many people I know they're doing that with people that they live near the, you know, it's, it's the idea that we, you know, we eat, we eat out intentionally now so that we can support local businesses that have maybe had to close down so we're really John and I are really intentional about saying okay we're going to eat at this restaurant this restaurant this week and we're going to order out to keep those people afloat. So I think, you know those are just a couple of examples but you can look at it from a nonprofit perspective that, you know, our donors a woman's work donors have really risen to the occasion, they are there. They're giving us donations so that we can go and help the, the hairstylist who can't work right now, or the woman who owns a massage company and she can't work right now. There are a lot of people that can't pay their bills because they can't do their work, and they were making it before, but they don't have big, big reserves and their banks to get them over this hurdle. So, you know, I get to see that regularly because of the work I do where I have donors that give to us and then we help people who needed an emergency situations. But I think that we're seeing it sort of on a bigger level. It's not always big acts sometimes it's a small act that we're seeing more and more of it around us and I think if we can continue to lean into one another and collectively wrap our arms around one another when one person needs it or one, you know, group needs it. And that's a real blessing out of this and I just hope that we can hold on to that as we, as we move forward and remember, and remember how it got us through this and really how I think it's going to get us through, you know, can get us through just about anything. So that sounds like a future characterized by intentionality, remarkable and new levels of support kind of networking with one another, and a different kind of connection and in a slower just a slower approach to the future so that's a future worth moving toward. I think so. Thanks for sharing those aspirations. Thanks for this interview and all of the contributions you make. Thank you to take care yourself, your family stay safe and when we all can come back out from our stay at home orders, our paths will cross I'm certain in real time. Thank you so much to my really appreciate it. Thank you. Okay, take care. Erica Zepa. Thank you so much for your willingness to contribute to this Longmont voices and vision project. Each of these interviews we've started by learning something about the person being interviewed so tell us about you. Hey, Tim. Thank you so much. It's a pleasure to be here. So I, let's see, I grew up in Boulder County but graduate from Longmont High 1983 have spent most of my life in Longmont and in Colorado. So gosh, long time probably longer than I probably cared for. I don't remember too much, but, but it spent the majority of my time in the nonprofit sector on the executive director of the Longmont Community Foundation and had that position for 12 years almost 12 years now and just really enjoy giving back to the community and and providing support to this wonderful community in any way I can. So thank you as well for all that you do for Longmont to the foundation and the network you've created there so you know I'm going to ask you three questions. Yeah. The first of these three questions is in this unprecedented, at least in our lifetimes period where we got stay at home now now we're just moving into safe at home orders from the governor. It's changed all of our lives and will hold a bunch of uncertainty and unknown that goes with that. So in the midst of it, there can be a lot of unease or fear. How are you getting yourself through this period of time. Well I think you know again friends and family still having those connections even though they may be remote but having the ability to use zoom and whatever system you you have available to do some sort of webinar or conference call I think it's been really helpful obviously for a lot of people. I've even been able to communicate with my parents on video and that to me was a milestone for them and it was it was pretty exciting. Our kids, my son's up in University of Wyoming and so it's been nice to text with them and get involved with them still and have zoom calls with my kids and my daughter's here in town so that's nice but again, given social distancing measures it's difficult to communicate unless you are able to text your own video but thankfully we're able to have that on a personal note I'm a huge gardener so I absolutely love to garden and so I guess the one good thing about this is that some of my gardening chores have gone. Oh, probably not the best last few years because I found other activities to do put off as much weeding as I could have and so it's been really nice to be able to get in the garden and be able to be outside and do a little bit of the weeding that I've been not so good about keeping up on so yeah I suppose everyone's lawns and gardens are going to look better this summer than they may have ever looked and attention they're getting right now. Eric you made reference to social distancing and in the same town with your daughter not being able to connect in ways that that you were accustomed to. So in this time of physical separation and social distancing how are you staying connected with family friends and obviously there are many others who you stay connected with as well. Yeah, I appreciate the question it is you know the video and the texting has been a really important part of our lives and to be frank Tim a couple years ago I still had a flip phone so I haven't been in really long in the social media as far as the smartphone ability for long. In fact I went to the Apple store and was helping my wife pick out a new smartphone and a woman who was 89 was picking out her second iPad and looked at my flip phone and said what are you doing. You know if she was 89 it could kind of embrace technology well so could I so I went out and got a smartphone and it's been really a godsend as far as texting the kids and keeping up with them and my kids do still enjoy a phone conversation which is really nice but but being able to have a family text chain has been really important. FaceTime there are a few friends that we've had some kind of after hours with be it Zoom and just have a beverage and be able to catch up with some people over a beverage has really been nice. I mean again it's not in person but but it provides a social connection that I think a lot of us are craving right now. So Quarantini Sessions where you can share Quarantails right. That's it. Well Eric it's this last question is really based on the presumption that life on the other side of this experience is likely going to be different than it was before a pandemic. Whatever the normal was we're going to experience a new normal and we don't know what that is. And as much as we don't know and as as much as we might envision our worst fears in the future with a new normal. There are also some best hopes and aspirations for what a new normal might be. So what would you like to see what's your preferred future and a future that you'd like to help create. Well Tim I think the one thing that I really adore about our community is the friendliness. So I wouldn't want that to go away. So even though we are asked to be socially distant and we're supposed to adhere to being safe and such. I really hope that we continue to be a friendly community and we continue to look out for each other and I don't see that that really changing. I just hope that we don't isolate ourselves from one another so that would be my greatest hope and then I also think holistically it would be nice to look at the entirety of the community. And rather just in our own kind of pockets and our own kind of desires we look at the the whole of the community what's good for the community what what should we be moving towards and what what sort of future should we have for a long month and for an entire country in our entire world. And I think that's the optimistic part that I have. I mean of course I suspect a lot of people. I kind of Riley say that I know well things will be back to normal when my wife comes home and she complains about her coworkers again, or she complains about some of the traffic. And I know things will be back to normal but in some ways that kind of will be an indication of normal. But not to say she complains all the time but to me that that is just part of the human experience. And if you see some of that come back I will know that things are back to normal but let's preface that let's let's try to look at, you know what sort of things can we can we create out of this that makes our lives better and the community better and that's really the future that I see. That's a future worth moving toward. And I want to say thank you for answering all three of these questions and participating in this project. This is the only time in the in all the interviews that will be part of this project well I'll get a chance to acknowledge. This would be the one time where people view these interviews when they get to see two perfect haircuts at the same time. So, thanks for giving us that one opportunity I don't viewers will appreciate that. Take care of yourself stay safe and again thanks for all the great work you do in this community. Thank you.