At Terra, we’re relentless in putting those we serve at the heart of our work.

That means even as social distancing measures continue, so do we—adapting through new and innovative ways to ensure no family is left behind to disappear into the community and forgo the support they need.

I work in Community Outreach and while my routine currently looks a little different, my goals remain the same: connect with parents, provide individualized support, and supply basic necessities to help them create better lives for themselves and their families.

Here’s a little glimpse into what a day looks like for me right now:

8:20 AM: My alarm goes off, and I worry for a brief moment that I might be late for work! Then, I relax as I realize my office is just down the hall. I brew a cup of coffee and quickly go about my morning routine.

8:30 AM: I settle down into my office, turn on my tablet, and send off my daily email to the team.

9:00 AM: A notification pops up on the bottom of my screen. It’s an invite for a team video call. I join and perk up as I see my co-workers’ smiling faces and friendly pets in the background.

10:30 AM: I call to check-in on one of my participants. As she tells me about her week, I hear her child giggling in the background. I ask about how her child is doing, how his development is progressing, and what activities they’re doing together. She tells me about the challenges they’re having with food security and financial support. I ask her a few more questions to figure out what kind of support they need and let her know I’ll get back to her.

11:15 AM: After my call, I start researching some financial support options my participant can access and text her those resources. I follow-up with texts and emails to other participants, too.

12:00 PM: My stomach gently growls, so I get up from my home office and head to the kitchen to eat lunch and spend some quality time with my own family.
12:30 PM: After lunch, I head back to my home office and settle in for a webinar sent to me by my supervisor. Today’s webinar is on mental health to complement the other ones I’ve completed recently on positive parenting, routine, and child development, to name a few.

2:00 PM: I put on “real clothes” and get ready to leave for Brentwood House to grab some supplies for my participants.

2:20 PM: I ring the doorbell at Brentwood House and quickly jump 6 feet away from the door. The door swings open, and I see my co-worker there. He has collected the items I need and prepared them in a box. (Amazing!) I say goodbye to him, as I recall when I’ll be at Brentwoood House next to help my co-workers coordinate deliveries.

2:40 PM: I quickly drive to our Downtown Office to grab the remaining items I need.

3:00 PM: I drive to my participants’ house, drop off some items, and give her a call to tell her items are on her front step. I wave, ‘Hi!’ from my car before I go to my next delivery.


4:30 PM: After a long day of working in this new normal, I get a text from one of my participants: “You guys are truly amazing! Although I don’t need support at this time, I just have to say how amazed I am with the support Terra gives us clients.” I smile as I turn off my work phone, ready to rest before another day begins.

Thanks for following along! On behalf of the entire Terra team, we hope you’re staying healthy and safe during this time. If you or a young family you know is in need of support, please don’t hesitate to contact us.