As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to change the daily lives for those all over the world, stories of people coming together in this time of crisis continue to deliver hope and inspiration to us all. Members of the Rome City Schools family have worked tirelessly to take every precaution passed down from the CDC, and are still finding ways to serve and unite our community.

One prominent issue since the beginning of the outbreak has been the shortage of medical supplies, specifically personal protection equipment or PPE. Holly Amerman, CTAE Director for Rome City Schools, received an email from the Department of Education asking CTAE Directors across the state to see what medical supplies their institutions might have available and to contact local healthcare providers to see what was needed. Holly and her colleagues rallied the troops quickly and took action.

“I received the email from the Department of Education last Friday and immediately reached out to my contact at Floyd Hospital, Chris Butler to see what they could use,” said Amerman. “The answer was yes to everything we had on hand so we didn’t waste any time getting it together.”

Between Rome High School and Rome Middle School, there are four healthcare programs that require CPR certifications, simulations, dissections and other labs in which these PPE items are used by the students. Luckily, both the middle and high schools had plenty on hand and after a joint effort between Mrs. Amerman and countless others, more than 30,000 gloves, 3,000 masks, 1,000 gowns, and countless wipes and other materials were collected and donated.

The efforts didn’t stop with what the schools had in stock however, as Amerman and her team coordinated communication with RCS parents asking that they also donate any extra supplies they might have in their homes.

“Our community has been so supportive during this crisis,” said Amerman. “We already have families coming by our campuses to pick up meals, so we asked people with supplies that they would be willing to donate to drop them off at those feeding sites. With these items in such short supply, every little bit helps. Every mask, gown, or set of gloves that we can donate helps medical professionals fight the spread of this virus.”

With the supplies delivered and distributed, Amerman expressed her gratefulness for the opportunity to do what she can to help.

“This is a hard time for everyone, so lending a hand is something I think most people are eager to do. My kids were excited just to come help load the car and deliver the items, and that sense of purpose is helpful in so many ways during this period of isolation. It feels good to be able to contribute and I’m glad we were able to deliver items that are so desperately needed.”