As you know, we are living in difficult and uncertain times. The Coronavirus pandemic is growing exponentially around the world. Here in Seattle we are currently under a stay-at-home order. As we all adjust to this temporary way of life we wanted to share with you how the pandemic is altering the operations of The Swedish Finn Historical Society.
First Things First
Our first concern is the health and wellbeing of our members, volunteers, and staff. We have members all over the world experiencing different phases of the pandemic. Did you know that we have members on four continents? The geographical distance between our members has presented some interesting challenges for us. We have seen wonderful examples of businesses, organizations, and individuals taking their skills and repurposing them to aid their communities. This has inspired us to look at our strengths and how we can use them to aid our members during this crisis. And while we have not fully figured out our role over the coming months we have lit upon one thing we can do. We are excellent researchers and this is valuable during a pandemic that is rife with misinformation. The following are examples of help we can give:
- Walk you through (over the phone) setting up grocery delivery
- Walk you through setting up Skype or similar service on your computer
- Have a question about all things Swedish Finn? We would love to talk on the phone and connect.
- Would you like a pen pal? We can hook you up with fellow members.
- We are adding a lot more content to the website to keep you entertained.
We don’t know what is coming and there are hard days ahead. However, we believe that cultivating a strong community and helping each other will give us the boost we need to make it through this unprecedented event. We would love your suggestions on how we can best support you!
Changes Coming
The first change occurred when we canceled our Annual Meeting & Luncheon that had been scheduled for March 7th. Now we have progressed to closing our library and office. We are now working remotely. The stay-at-home order has closed our printer and made it impossible to assemble a mailing crew. We will be unable to print The Quarterly in the near future. Lastly, for the short term, our financial situation has deteriorated.
How Does This Affect Our Members
The best way to communicate with SFHS will be via email. Our email address: info@swedishfinnhistoricalsociety.org We will periodically gain access to our office to retrieve mail, phone messages, etc., so members should expect delays in responses. Almost everything we do relies on another business. These businesses are also working remotely or not at all. Delays will become commonplace.
The Quarterly will continue to be published electronically. We will be posting the issues in our Member Portal on our website: swedishfinnhistoricalsociety.org. When each issue is available we will send out an email with a link and instructions on how to access it. A limited number of our members do not have email or have not shared it with us. We are working on a solution for those members.
To address our financial needs we will be focusing on cutting costs and improving our flow of income. Halting printing is our first cost cutting measure. The cost of printing and mailing is now roughly equivalent to the income from membership.The effort to obtain grants will be increased. We also want members to consider giving an extra donation to SFHS if they are able to do so.Thank you to those that already have! Donations can be made online here or mailed to:
Swedish Finn Historical Society
1920 Dexter Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109
Just as the pandemic has phases, so does our grief. One day it will feel like everything is fine and the next may feel hopeless. It is our sincerest hope that we can provide some comfort.
Thank you for your patience and continued support.
Bill Carlson
President
Dick Erickson
Treasurer
Kimberly Jacobs
Executive Director