Tag: May11

Information as of December 2021

General Details

• Employees who are at a higher risk for COVID-19 based on risk factors identified by the CDC should discuss their concerns with their supervisor. If additional accommodation is needed, they should discuss these concerns and possible accommodations with the University’s ADA coordinator.
• Whenever possible, meetings should continue to be virtual. When meetings must be in-person, designate a space for such purpose.
• Continue physical distancing and use of protective equipment.
• Continue closure of areas where people congregate.
• Face coverings are not required in University facilities, but remain strongly encouraged in instructional areas (classrooms, instructional labs) and research labs.
• Anyone who wants to wear a face-covering regardless of their vaccination status is welcome to do so.
• No quarantine following known exposure for fully vaccinated individuals.
• Current recommendations for physical distancing in University facilities remain in place.
  Events and large gatherings must continue to go through University protocols for approval.

Extension Offices

• Notify county government partners that the facility has reopened to the public.
• Transfer main office lines back to office phones.
• Post public health notices on all publicly accessible entrances.
• Prepare sampling areas to mitigate personal contact with the public.
• Create physical separation between all publicly accessible areas of the office and those intended to be accessed by staff only.
• Make hand sanitizer available at all entrances.
• Make supplies including, but not limited to, disinfectant wipes, disposable towels, disinfectant solution, etc. available in all commonly used areas of the office facility.
• Update sampling information on county websites and social media outlets only after the office has been deemed safely accessible to the public.
• Consider maintaining a long-term soil drop-off-only process that limits in-office interactions with the public.
• Consider delineating physical separation with marks on the floor in open spaces accessible to the public.

Extension Volunteers

Clemson Extension volunteers may return to in-person service in Stage – Yellow provided ALL the following conditions are met:

• The program-leading Extension Agent and any applicable third party or property have approved the volunteer activity.
• The volunteer follows appropriate CDC guidelines.
• Adults that have routine interaction with youth must abide by Clemson University Youth Protection Policy and Operating Standards.
• General guidance for returning to in-person volunteer service includes:
• Remain at home if you or anyone in your household is not feeling well or has a fever.
• High-risk individuals and those with significant underlying medical conditions are strongly encouraged to stay at home and take measures to limit exposure.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
• Try to work independently, keeping 6 feet or more apart from others.
• Frequently clean high‐touch surfaces including your cellphone/tablet, door handles, restroom surfaces, handrails, tools, etc.
• Refrain from using shared office equipment when possible. If it is necessary to use other’s equipment, sanitize between each user.

Guidance for Outdoor Service

• People should be spaced apart 6 feet or more.
• Individuals may work independently, keeping 6 feet or more apart from others in the garden.
• When possible, use your own gardening tools and equipment; shared tools and equipment should be cleaned after each use.

Communication Regarding Attendance at Educational Events

• Advise participants in advance that if they have any symptoms or feel unwell, they should not attend.

Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to people of all ages, regardless of race, color, gender, religion, national origin, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital or family status and is an equal opportunity employer.

My name is Kristi Bussell and I’m a mental health educator for student health services. My office recently started an online program called Wellness Wednesdays (WW). The purpose of WW is to provide students, faculty, and staff information on how to take care of their wellbeing during COVID-19. Additionally, it provides an opportunity for folks to come together – vital during this season of social distancing.

What: Weekly Wellness series where we’ll discuss how to take care of our well-being during COVID-19
When: Wednesdays, 10am – 10:30am
Where: https://clemson.zoom.us/j/345660746
Password: email Kristi Bussell at kbussel@clemson.edu to get the password!

Also, follow @TigersTogether_ and @clemsonhealthycampus on IG for regular updates!
—
Kristi E. Bussell, MPH
Assistant Director for Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Initiatives
Student Health Services
Clemson University
864-656-2038

EMERGENCY/IN CRISIS/AFTER-HOURS CARE
If you or someone you know is at immediate risk of harm to self or others, contact emergency services and get help – call 911 or the Clemson University Police Department at 864-656-2222.

To reach Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) during business hours, call 864-656-2451.

For after-hours psychological emergencies, a CAPS on-call counselor can be reached through CUPD at 864-656-2222.

For help that can be accessed anywhere, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

Zoom Information

Zoom is now licensed for all Clemson employees.
To access a licensed account, login in through clemson.zoom.us

Learn more about Zoom meeting best practices and tips.
https://blogs.clemson.edu/online/2020/04/03/zoom-meeting-best-practices-and-tips/

List of IT Resources

Information about all of the tools for working remotely have been compiled for employees.
https://ccit.clemson.edu/working-remotely/

Scanning Tool

If you do not have access to a scanner, you can scan from home with the Adobe Scan app to share paper documents with others. The Adobe Scan app easily captures documents and converts them to PDF right in your phone. It is included with our Adobe license. Just download the app and sign in.

Option 1: Scan documents using Adobe Scan on your phone (easiest option)

1. Download Adobe Scan from your device’s app store.
2. Launch the application and at the bottom of the screen, click “Sign In or Sign Up”.
3. Type in Clemson email address and it should take you to Single Sign On for Clemson.
4. Allow access to your phone’s camera.
5. The software will begin to detect the edges of the page, which you can adjust with your finger.
6. Take picture when ready and then tap the image it saves.
   • To eliminate shadows, make sure your light source is in front of you and your phone, not directly above or behind (think of how the sun creates shadows).
7. You can crop, rotate, or make other visual adjustments.
8. Give the file a relevant name by clicking the pencil icon and then click save.
   • Adobe Scan automatically recognizes the text in the image to make it text searchable.

If you need any assistance with IT needs, please contact your statewide District IT consultant or the helpdesk: ithelp@clemson.edu, 864.656.3494.

The Food Systems and Safety Team continues to work hard to reach our stakeholders with food safety information and guidance through the COVID-19 pandemic. Since our last report on April 9, 2020, the team has been in contact with 532 stakeholders via telephone, email, workshops via Zoom, webinars, and social media.

From April 14-16, the FSMA team taught a Preventive Control for Human Food course via Zoom to nine participants. These participants included five students from the Food, Nutrition and Packaging Science Department, three inspectors from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, and one food manufacturer.

On April 24, the “in-person” segment of the Food Safety for Food Entrepreneurs course was held via Zoom and led by Adair Hoover. The agenda included a Q&A panel with representatives from the SC Department of Agriculture (SCDA), DHEC, FDA, and Livestock Poultry Health, as well as individual presentations by members of the Food Systems and Safety Team and the SC Small Business Development Center. Thirty-two food entrepreneurs participated in this workshop.

Food Systems and Safety Agent, Faith Isreal, hosted a Food Safety During a Pandemic webinar. This webinar was a review of COVID-19 and proper food safety practices. The webinar had forty participants, which included consumers, retail food establishments, and members of SCDA and DHEC. The webinar recording was shared and continues to be watched by stakeholders today.

On April 29, Food Systems and Safety Agent, Rebecca Baxley, hosted a home canning webinar. The webinar discussed basic home canning practices that should be followed when canning your own food. There were fifty-six participants on the live webinar and several others watching the recording.

Although we are aware that COVID-19 is not a foodborne pathogen, food safety questions remain with our stakeholders. In addition, with the re-opening of outdoor dining at restaurants, more questions arise. The team has been provided with the guidelines for retail food establishments that were established by the South Carolina Restaurant and Lodging Association. Our Food Systems and Safety Extension Associate, Chad Carter, will be serving as the main contact for retail establishments and questions related to retail food establishment recommendations.

The team has discussed several topics for upcoming webinars, and team members are working on these so they can provide to stakeholders soon. The team is also working on reviewing HGIC factsheets to ensure that they are up to date with current science-based information.

Submitted by: Dr. Kimberly Baker, Food Systems and Safety Program Team Leader

As we enter day 54 of the COVID-19 Modified Operating Procedure for Extension, we are in the beginning stages of determining the timing for the implementation of our re-entry plan. I want to thank each of you for keeping the Extension mission and vision alive and prominent during these ongoing uncertain times. As I stated during the early days of this pandemic, if we pull together to support and acknowledge each other, we will come out stronger. I still hold true to these words.

As I have expressed before, I am still amazed at how quickly programming was modified early on in response to the closure of our county offices and cancellation of in-person events. I am confident that we can hit the ground running when we begin our re-entry plan. However, once again, we will have to modify programming approaches to ensure everyone’s safety in the “new normal” way of life. I know you are up to the challenge. I recognize that adapting is not always easy, but because we successfully adapted early on, our determination has allowed us to take advantage of new opportunities to broaden our reach.

One example of this is the Virtual Turfgrass Field Day that was held on May 1. This was to be the 23rd year of the field day at the Walker Golf Course. Members of the Horticulture Program Team, led by Bert McCarty, made sure a field day still happened. I commend their efforts, and the video is now available on YouTube. I must also say a big thank you to Dr. Eric Benson, Ben Powell, Millie Davenport, the entire crew at HGIC, and Stephen Long for their work on the Asian Giant Hornets article. Once misinformation ignites on social media, it is difficult to control and correct. Our team did an excellent job of disseminating unbiased, researched-based information to educate the general public, and calm fears. This is yet another example of the continued impact that Extension is having during the COVID-19 crisis. There are so many more examples that can’t be recognized in this brief article. However, I want everyone to know that I am aware of your efforts due to the diligence of your Program Team Directors in communicating those.

In closing, please remember the Extension Town Hall meetings are scheduled for this Friday, May 15. I will be hosting these webinars, which will also include remarks from Dean Belli, Dr. Askew, and Dr. Griffin, as well as a message from President Clements. Because of the limited time for each meeting, we will only be able to accept questions on the chat board. I ask that everyone listen in as it is crucial that you understand the re-entry plan for Extension. It will be everyone’s responsibility to undertake appropriate guidelines and ensure safety. Our plan is specific to Extension, and your leadership team has been working on this plan with the Clemson University EOC non-stop for the past three weeks.

I look forward to connecting with everyone on Friday. As always, please take good care of yourselves and your families, and thank you for what you do for Clemson Extension.

The Clemson Extension Water Resources Team created the Being a Neighbor for Clean Water webinar series to assist residents during the public health crisis associated with COVID-19 and their larger-than-ever need for educational content and at-home projects. This webinar series exposed residents to actions and practices that could reduce their stormwater footprints. Stormwater runoff is the leading source of water quality impairments, according to the EPA. Stormwater can become polluted when it runs off of surfaces contaminated with pollutants such as litter, pet waste, and fertilizers, that people leave on the ground. This series was well-timed, as people were responsive to the information, actions, and best management practices (BMPs) presented. These BMPs centered around benefitting individuals, their neighbors, and their environment.

The webinar series was offered statewide during Earth Week (4/20-4/24) and presented in a lunch-and-learn style, with sessions taking place every weekday from 12:00 pm until 12:30 pm. Topics included an overview of stormwater-related issues, shoreline management for ponds, floating wetlands, rain gardens, and water-wise landscaping practices. The series had a total of eighty-two registrants from all over the state. Sixty-seven individuals attended the course for at least one session, and twenty people attended every session of the series. These dedicated participants were gifted with a personalized Neighbor for Clean Water Certificate.

Program evaluations of the webinar series were very positive. One hundred percent of respondents indicated that they felt the series was a good use of their time and that they gained knowledge. Similarly, eighty-one percent of respondents indicated that they would implement a practice that they learned during the series. However, the participants themselves better described the series’ impacts with comments left in the surveys and direct emails to the presenters. For example, one participant emailed to say, “Super, thanks! Y’all are doing a great job with these webinars—I’ve learned more this week than I have in a year (cause it’s so hard to get to in-person workshops during “normal business operation” seasons)!“

Another participant wrote in their survey, “I’m amazed at what I learned within the half-hour each day. I appreciate all of the follow-up email[s] with the links to so many helpful resources. The presentation[s] were well put together and contained a wealth of information in such a short time (an indication of the keen preparation that went into each session). Truly a valuable webinar! Many thanks!” With such a positive response, the Water Resources Team is looking to offer the series again next spring.

Submitted by: Derrick Phinney, Natural Resources Team Director, on behalf of Water Resources Agents Ellen Comeau, Tancey Cullum, Becky Davis, Karen Jackson, Haley Parent and Guinn Wallover

Rural Health Team agents Wanda Green and Weatherly Thomas understand that a healthy living environment should be accessible for everyone in South Carolina. However, residents in Lee County face more barriers to healthy living than many in our state. Lee County has an adult obesity rate of forty percent. Twenty-one percent of the county residents qualify as food insecure, and thirty percent of Lee County residents have income levels below the federal poverty threshold. Wanda and Weatherly are charged with addressing the lack of access to healthy food and support for physical activity to residents in Lee County through funding from a 5-year CDC grant (Dr. Sarah Griffin, Department of Public Health Sciences, Principal Investigator and Dr. Michelle Parisi, Clemson Extension, Co-Principal Investigator).

Wanda and Weatherly’s work requires that they build links between local groups to improve existing community efforts. One of the community groups they have assisted is Mt. Calvary Missionary Baptist Church in Bishopville. This church has been a food provider in Lee County for almost a decade. Mt. Calvary acts as a hub, connecting twenty-five local churches to offer food to 500 families in the Lee County area. During the last six months, Rural Health and Nutrition agents increased the capacity of this grassroots effort by fostering a relationship between Mt. Calvary and FoodShareSC.

The Mt. Calvary-FoodShareSC partnership is now viable and able to offer low-cost fruits and vegetables to all Lee County residents. The partnership places special emphasis on addressing the issues faced by low-income families relating to access to fresh, affordable food.

The Mt. Calvary-FoodShareSC partnership allows Lee County residents to purchase low-cost, quality produce while maximizing purchasing power and maintaining dignity. A typical purchase consists of a family-sized box filled with twelve to fifteen varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables, with the contents changing each month. Each box contains information on the preparation and storage of the produce. Participants can purchase boxes monthly by using either cash or SNAP/EBT. If purchased with cash, the boxes cost $15. If purchased with SNAP/EBT, $5 is charged to SNAP benefits, and $10 is charged to SC Healthy Bucks.

This past February was the official beginning of the Mt. Calvary-FoodShareSC partnership. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of food boxes sold has nearly doubled, from forty-seven to almost one hundred. The contents of the boxes sold translate to more than 1,000 pounds of fresh produce on dinner tables across Lee County. Wanda and Weatherly have been instrumental in helping the group secure permission to accept SNAP benefits and SC Healthy Bucks as payment. Without these forms of payment, the lower-income households in Lee County would have limited access to participate in the program. It is special to note, this project is the first faith-based, non-profit food buying cooperative approved to accept SNAP and Healthy Bucks benefits in the entire state of South Carolina.

Billboards, word of mouth, and social media have all played a part in promoting FoodShareSC. Most recently, the local Coca-Cola Consolidated operation and Central Carolina Technical College have offered either funding or company employees to volunteer for box packing/distribution days. The funding and increased volunteer base will aid this project in reaching even more households. Lee County First Steps has also confirmed intent to purchase boxes for families enrolled in their program. It is anticipated that orders will exceed 200 boxes by the May 18th order deadline.

Submitted by: Rhonda Matthews, Rural Health and Nutrition Assistant Team Leader, Wanda Green, Lee County Rural Health and Nutrition Agent, & Weatherly Thomas, Lee County Health Extension Agent