GRP's approach to COVID-19 this Spring/Summer
To our beloved Rock Camp family,
At the beginning of camp season, GRP staff and volunteers put our heads together to move through any obstacles in the way of our ‘best camp yet.’ In seasons past, we’ve switched locations with less than a week to go, made classrooms out of hallways, arrived onsite hours ahead to run air conditioners before campers arrived. We always manage to source enough coffee, bagels, guitar pics and heart to make it fly. This spring we’re navigating a new challenge, and we’ll need all of us to get through.
In a press conference held by the City of Philadelphia yesterday, Girls Rock Philly learned that the novel virus COVID-19, is in fact circulating in Philadelphia. While we can’t predict the short or long-term impacts of the spread of coronavirus, the number of confirmed cases in Greater Philadelphia suggests that we can expect the number to grow significantly over the coming weeks and months.
News and updates about COVID-19 are already exhausting—no doubt you’ve read statements like this from schools, businesses, community groups and other care spaces in your lives. One thing we know for sure: we’re in a fight with this virus for the long haul. At Girls Rock Philly, we’re grateful as ever to be in it together.
The spread of Coronavirus reflects back to us how precious you all are to us. We acknowledge that as a community practicing care, it is our responsibility to build safety, transparency and support as the situation unfolds.
We are closely monitoring any ongoing/potential impacts on our community and are following all precautionary recommendations for organizations of our size and scope. Many factors are out of our control, but staying informed and centering health and safety are our priority. You can rely on us to do everything to make camp magic possible— and you can trust us to make a tough choice if the time comes.
The City of Philadelphia is not yet recommending the closure of schools or universities, and our convenings fall well below the current recommended capacity for cancellation or closure (>5,000 people). We believe that as long as it is safe to do so, we should love and support each other in the work we build together.
🏓❤️After some consideration, GRP has decided that it is best to postpone Pong-a-Thon until the fall. This moment is so uncertain, and we want all of you to be able to center your own needs. ❤️🏓
Since 2020 May Adult Rock Camp and Summer Rock Camps are a little farther out, we will be moving forward with preparing for those programs as planned.
What you can expect from GRP at any GRP events:
● Check-ins and onsite screening for symptoms of COVID-19
● On-site nurse for our camp programming
● Readily available: tissues, hand sanitizer, disinfectant sprays
Applications for Adult Rock Camp will still open on March 29; and an application date for Summer Rock Camp has yet to be determined. Should our course of action- or the recommendations from the CDC or Pennsylvania Department of Public Health- change over the course of the month of March, we will keep you informed. Girls Rock Philly plans to communicate an informed decision regarding the status of May ARC no later than Friday, April 3. We reserve the right to cancel at any time in consideration of any shifts in the nature of the spread of COVID-19 in Philly.
We are committed to doing everything in our control to minimize financial losses for our participants and organization. We are actively updating terms for our cancellation and refund policies, as well as a financial contingency plan for the long-term health of GRP.
We will adjust our internal deadlines and payment due dates for all camps, and guarantee full refunds to any participants who cancel attendance to camp in relationship to coronavirus. We will also do our best to communicate cancellations with additional consideration for any volunteers requesting stipends, creating as much flexibility as possible for those most affected by loss-income/resource to recover or create alternative plans.
As our city encourages all private employers to relax sick leave policies and as people and families prepare for quarantine, time off work and self-isolation, we acknowledge the systemic inequities that put the most marginalized members of our community at the most risk. We recognize that these moments of uncertainty have the greatest impact on under/unemployed people and folks at work in the gig economy.
We are especially protective of our immunocompromised community members and trust/encourage each of our beloved community members to protect themselves by doing whatever feels best for them. We can protect one another by staying home if you show any symptoms at all of COVID-19 (the most visible being a high fever and a raspy cough).
We’re grateful to the Girls Rock Camp Alliance for preparing a Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus (Covid-19) resource guide, including materials and protocols from the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control.
We also encourage participants with access to SMS texting to follow Philadelphia’s Emergency Updates, by texting COVIDPHL to 888-777.
Please email us if you have any questions, concerns or feedback. We echo the language put forth by the Girls Rock Camp Alliance: Please remember that caring for yourself is and always has been revolutionary.
All our love to you,
GRP Staff and Board