You’ve probably seen the pictures of grandchildren standing outside of their precious grandmother’s window while she sits in a room alone at her assisted living facility. They are heartbreaking, for sure.

While loved ones are prevented from coming into these facilities, employees are often the only ones who are able to have face to face interaction with the elderly residents. It seems likely that the job of many of these caregivers has become increasingly tense.

• Imagine what the stress of watching the news each day must do to the residents. The caregivers must be patient and willing to provide comfort at a higher level than usual.

• Imagine the concern these workers must have having to deal with the responsibility of what would happen if one of them did pass the virus to an elderly resident.

• Imagine the families of these caregivers who are watching their loved ones go into a job that is essential. Going to work means stopping at the gas station and being around other employees…all areas that mean increased exposure of the caregiver.

God cares deeply for the elderly. And he’s asked us to do the same.

'You shall rise up before the grayheaded and honor the aged, and you shall revere your God; I am the LORD.” Leviticus 29v32.

Right now, supporting the caregivers of the elderly is a powerful way to honor the aged.

What if we could band together and “give courage to” (the literal definition of encouragement) to the ones who are taking care of such precious, fragile lives right now? What if we could work together to pour courage (confidence, strength, etc.) into these workers at a time when they are surely feeling tired?

Here’s the plan for engaging chaos by sending some digital encouragement:

We are going to put together a montage of encouragement aimed at the care givers for the elderly. We have several contacts within Upstate care facilities and we can’t wait to shower them with encouragement!

But we need you-

We need you to upload send an audio or video (try to keep it to around 20 seconds) that contains anything that you feel would fill these workers with courage. This can be recorded on your smartphone and sent into covidsupport@radiusgreenville.org (please put “Care Givers” in the subject line). If you need help knowing how to best shoot your video, check this out. Your email client may not let you send you send a large video file, so read this if you don’t know how to include a linked video within an email.

We would suggest any of the following:

• Record a prayer specifically for the care givers here in the Upstate.

• Record your heartfelt expressions of gratitude.. If you have kids, please consider letting them express gratitude as well.

• Record yourself reading passages of Scripture.

• Present the Gospel; apply it specifically to this situation.

• Tell a story that illuminates the importance of their work right now.

We also HIGHLY recommend inviting others to join in on this as well. Getting involved in loving neighbors is therapeutic for everyone! Share this opportunity! The more videos we have, the more variations of this we will make to send to multiple assisted care facilities in the Upstate. We will be sure to share the final products of this when the project is done.

Please send ALL video/audio files (remember ~ 20 secs) to covidsupport@radiusgreenville.org (“Care Givers” on the subject line). Read this if you don’t know how to include a linked video within an email.

We would like for ALL submissions to this engaging chaos project to be sent by midnight on Sunday, April 5th. Please send them in as soon as possible so we can start editing!

Thank you all for your willingness to engage chaos and pour courage into those who desperately need it right now.