WALTON - In an emergency, people who want to help do what they can. They offer what they know how to do. During this public health emergency, medical professionals are volunteering their services. Stitchers are making masks. Musicians are offering free concerts online. People are coordinating food deliveries to their neighbors. And Molly Yakusan Stevens of Walton is offering emotional support to first responders.
She is one of more than 2500 caregivers offering free phone or video-based support to the people on the front lines of this crisis.
“These are the heroes of our time,” she said, “and they’re under extreme stress.”
Stevens is a Zen Buddhist by training, and what she’s offering is what’s called “contemplative care,” helping guide first responders through stress reduction and meditation training through the NYC COVID Care Network. It’s a grassroots mutual aid effort connecting all essential workers and their families to mental, spiritual and emotional support. It’s a model based on what was done after the 9-11 terrorist attacks. This is separate from the thousands of mental health professionals from all over the country who are volunteering to staff the state’s mental health hotline, what she describes as a parallel effort.
“We can be a resource for people, anywhere in the state, who don’t want to call what they see as ‘Cuomo’s hot line,’” she said. “This offers an alternative.”
Stevens said she’s not only working with callers, but she’s coordinating the response of a team of ten other volunteers, referring callers to the right helper for their needs.
“The system works, so far,” she said. “I’ve had a doctor with a lot of stress call to learn relaxation techniques. There is so much isolation and fear and loneliness. This is available to anyone in the state. Nurses in our region need to know about this, too.”
Stevens said she’s concerned about the impact of social media in this crisis.
“There’s so much misinformation, even doubt about the seriousness of this situation. There’s a rush to talk about ‘getting back to normal.’ It’s so upsetting.”
Meanwhile, she’s taking advantage of the Internet to offer classes online to anyone who wants to join.
“I’ve started leading a Zoom meditation group on Thursday mornings through bushelcollective.org in Delhi. To me, both endeavors are about offering and receiving support during these challenging times.”
If you or someone you know is a first responder, the NYC COVID Care Network is free and available to anyone in the state. Just contact them at www.nyccovidcare.org/request or email questions to info@nyccovidcare.org.
