https://dew.sc.gov/covid-hub

Due to the influx of unemployment claims being filed, the national system known as ICON hub, which all states use to validate social security numbers on claims in real time, is being overwhelmed with validation requests. We are required to validate social security numbers to avoid fraud and prevent identity theft. The ICON hub team is aware of this unusual issue and is working to expand their database capacity.  

In South Carolina, we are getting two different Social Security related questions:

First: The social security number field keeps you from filing a claim and states that the number is invalid and will not let you proceed to the next screen.

If you are getting this message, that is the validation delay mentioned above. We are asking folks to try to apply during an off-peak time. The validation of the social security number is done in REAL time, so that means as you are attempting to file, there are A LOT of people nationwide doing the same exact thing. We understand this has been an issue for a lot of people and as we get more information on progress, we will communicate that out.

Second: Once you have filed a claim, received a confirmation number and returned to the portal, your dashboard may show a pending Social Security Number Validation issue or a pending Separation issue.

These issues will be handled by our agency staff. No action is needed on your end. And if additional information is needed, a representative will contact you directly. There is no need to speak to an agent regarding these issues.

Get Growing! Thankfully during this time of social distancing, we don’t need to distance from the garden or farm. Here are some resources to help: Gardening Basics Ask Ruth Gardening Blog Series Ask Tom Farming Blog Series Participate in our Online Spring Gardening Series Workshop More Resources for Growers & Consumers during Covid 19 Visit Our Covid 19 Resource Page

A Few Farm Store Updates…

• Moving forward, our hours will be Wednesday – Sunday, 1pm – 4pm.
• We will be accepting orders via online only. https://www.hickorynutgap.com/product-category/home-delivery/?utm_source=Farm+General+Interest&utm_campaign=ad50dba514-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_03_25_12_35&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_c6a6d890c6-ad50dba514-34117913 We will not be accepting orders over the phone.
• Orders placed after 7am will be available for pickup the following business day.
• We are shipping orders and also offering drive-through pickup from the Farm Store.
• The deli and kitchen will be closed until further notice.

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To ensure our homebound clients continue receiving the nutritious meal they rely on, Meals on Wheels of Greenville will be delivering meals only on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays of each week, beginning Monday, March 23, until further notice. Each client will receive one hot and one frozen meal each delivery day.

Drop site locations are still operational but for those volunteers who pick up from our office, our drive thru process will be set up to eliminate the need to congregate in our lobby.

We are working with a new contactless delivery system to ensure the safety of all involved. It is imperative that volunteers place client meals in a bag (provided by Meals on Wheels) to hang on the doorknob or place on a porch surface and knock/call the client as normal.  Step back six to twelve feet from the door and wait for the client to retrieve the meals.  This allows us to ensure we are practicing the social distancing recommended by health professionals as well as ensuring that our clients get a check-in from volunteers. 

If you are self-quarantined or are uncomfortable delivering your regular schedule (if you deliver on Monday, Wednesday, or Friday) we respect and appreciate your decision and ask that you let us know by calling 864-233-6565 or emailing [email protected] so that we can secure a substitute volunteer to deliver your route.

If you cannot deliver but want to help, we are in need of volunteers to call clients on the days that we don’t deliver to ensure they are okay.  If you would like to call clients, we can add you to our list and assign you a route.  Again, please call 864-233-6565 or email [email protected] if you are interested.

The Gandhi King Season for Nonviolence (SNV) commences on January 30, in cities across the globe. The annual 64 day campaign, co-founded in 1998 by Dr. Arun Gandhi and The Association for Global New Thought (AGNT), is an educational, media and grassroots awareness campaign spanning the January 30th and April 4th memorial anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The purpose of the campaign is to focus educational and media attention on the philosophy of attaining peace through nonviolent action as demonstrated by legendary leaders Mohandas K. Gandhi, Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar E. Chavez, and President Nelson Mandela, as well as living legends such as His Holiness, Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet.

Spiritually guided citizen leaders in 900 cities in 67 countries have participated since the campaign began in 1998.

In compliance with a directive from Bishop Jose McLoughlin, all worship services are cancelled through March in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Please stay safe.

Episode 206: Staying Positive. Setting a Goal. A Challenge. (Roundup) It’s been a week. We thought we’d get the gang together to talk about it and how we are coping with the changes in schedule. We’ve also got a challenge for you. Let’s keep the arrow of intention aimed at something bigger than ourselves. What’s a goal you can set for yourself for the next 30 days? Play / Listen / Subscribe

The world has changed. It’s probably changed for you. For many people, working from home is a new experience. How do you make that work? Even if you’ve been working remotely for awhile, you may be facing new conditions. You may have people or pets wandering in and out of your workspace when that’s not happened before. How do you make working away from others work for you? We’ve got some help for you, today. We’ve got Carol Hamilton, a global communications expert to share with us some of her thoughts as she has worked with people and teams from around the world. How do you get your head right? How do you get your space right? How do you stay focused? How do you come to agreement with those around you on how you will create boundaries and work and life? We’ve got some answers in this episode of the Tech After Five podcast. Follow these steps: 1. Get Buy In From Your Household 2. Setting Your Environment for Success 3. Managing the potential for interruptions 4. Creating the Opportunity for Quality Contact with Colleagues 5. Keeping Yourself working with loops that preserve the self Looking to connect with Carol Hamilton? Look for her on LinkedIn.

We are asking fans to hold onto their tickets, as they will be valid for the rescheduled performance date as soon as they’re announced.  

We understand that there is uncertainty for you as you wait for replacement shows to be scheduled and to determine whether it will work out for all the previous buyers to attend. If you are able to hold onto purchased concert ticket and be patient with us as tours work through this large volume of rescheduling, it will allow venues like us to survive being closed for an extended duration while we have no new streams of bar, concessions or ticket revenue.

We want our customers to know that the Orange Peel, like many Asheville’s venues, is a locally owned, locally run small business that employees over 50 local workers at a living wage during normal business operation. Our plan and hope is that we will be able to weather this difficult time, and come out stronger for it on the other end, when we can again be together, enjoying live music. COVID-19 and the resulting bans on crowd gatherings has had and will have a massive financial impact on our business, and every other business in the live events and performance arts sector. We are trying to keep as many of our staff employed as we can while trying to remain strong and sustainable in the interim weeks and months that we are closed.

We appreciate your patience and ongoing support of small businesses and venues like ours as we navigate this unprecedented situation. Please keep supporting each other and our local small businesses. Together, we’ll get through this!

XO,
The Peel

FOOD

• Clemson Community Care remains open for regular service hours. Please confirm before visiting: 864-653-4460.
• United Christian Ministries remains open for regular service hours. Please confirm before visiting: 864-671-1134.
• SHINE Soup Kitchen is closed for regular dining, but “to go” meals and personal hygiene bags will be distributed tonight (March 19) at 5:30 p.m.
• Meals on Wheels will close the two Young at Heart Senior Centers in Liberty and Central March 17-March 31. Senior members who have requested a daily meal will be offered the option of a home delivered meal. MOW will continue to deliver hot meals to homebound clients. MOW is preparing frozen and shelf stable meals in the event that volunteer deliveries become limited.
• WYFF is maintaining a list of area restaurants who are offering free meals to school aged children: https://www.wyff4.com/article/upstate-restaurants-offering-free-food-to-students-during-school-closures/31662340
• SDPC will be serving free breakfast (7-9 a.m.) and lunch 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.) for anyone under the age of 18. The student must be present for the meal to be served. SDPC is working on a plan for delivering food via school buses which they expect to begin Monday, March 23. More information to come. The free meal sites are:
  • Central Academy of the Arts
  • Chastain Road Elementary
  • Dacusville Elementary
  • McKissick Academy of Science & Technology
  • Pickens Elementary
  • West End Elementary
• The Free Little Library at the Dream Center will temporarily serve as an emergency food pantry for anyone who needs it. (111 Hillcrest Drive, Easley)

UTILITIES

• Duke Energy and Piedmont Natural Gas are suspending disconnection for nonpayment to all home and business accounts in South Carolina and six other states effective immediately.
• Charter is offering free Spectrum broadband and Wi-Fi access for 60 days to households with K-12 students who do not already have a Spectrum subscription. To enroll call 1-844-488-8395. Installation fees waived for new student households. Confirm terms with provider.
• Visit SDPC for details on how students can access wifi in the parking lots of the following schools:
  •  East End Elementary School
  • West End Elementary School
  • R.H. Gettys Middle School
  • Pickens Elementary School
  • Hagood Elementary School
  • Crosswell Elementary School
  • Six Mile Elementary School
  • Liberty Middle School
  • Daniel High School

HEALTH

• Samaritan Health Clinic Free Medical and Dental Clinic of Pickens County is open but only seeing sick visits. They are triaging patience in accordance with CDC, DHEC and PRISMA guidelines and regulations. Please confirm before visiting: 864-855-0853.

OTHER

• United Way of Pickens County Free Tax Preparation sites are closed through March 31, and all March appointments have been cancelled. When we have more to share, that information on rescheduling will be posted on our website and our Facebook page. Visit myfreetaxes.com or IRS.gov to see if any of these online tax preparation services are right for you. Check back with our website for updates.

https://www.harvesthope.org/upstate-branch-individual-volunteer-sign-up

Thank you for your interest in volunteering as an individual at Harvest Hope Food Bank’s Upstate Branch!

Please use this link to complete the steps below. *If you are signing up to volunteer during the COVID-19 crisis, please choose the shifts named “Crisis Volunteer-Upstate”*

If you are signing up to volunteer for the first time, you will need to click on “Sign Up” and create a profile before scheduling your first shift.

If you are a returning volunteer, please click on “Login” to login to your account and schedule your shifts.

*You only need to sign up for an account one time. After you intially sign up, you will only use the login button to schedule shifts.*

We look forward to working with you. If you have further questions after you have watched the volunteer orientation video and completed the application and waiver, please contact Tanya Yachaina at [email protected].