· If you feel sick, stay home. If you’ve been sick, stay home until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone. Take care of yourself. Help others stay healthy. You might not know if the person sitting next to you is particularly vulnerable to the flu.
· Let us know if you get the flu. Call Steve at the church office on weekdays before 1:00pm or at home. We want to know:
· If there is anything we can do to support you and your family.
· If there is anyone at CUCC we need to notify on your behalf.
· According to the Center for Disease Control, healthy adults are contagious a day before they exhibit symptoms. So let us know if you have attended a CUCC event where you might have infected others.
· We can also let groups know that you won’t be available for meetings or commitments you have made.
· Stay informed about how the flu is changing CUCC activities.
· Get in the habit of checking the CUCC News & Chat blog before you drive to a CUCC meeting or event. We’ll post cancellations as we receive them. Remember, you don’t need to join anything to read the blog – just click on the blog link from the CUCC home page. You can also sign up to receive an email anytime something new is posted on the blog. If a church-wide event is cancelled, we’ll send an email.
· Those of you who don’t have access to a computer can help us by calling the church office this week to let Carol know we’ll need to call you if a church-wide event is being cancelled. We’re likely to ask you to call a few other people; thank you for pitching in.
· If you hear that someone has the flu, call the church office. When people get sick, they don’t have the energy to make phone calls and might not have called.
· If you lead a group, be sure to post or ask us to post any cancellations. Call any members of your group who don’t have a computer. If you post yourself, remember to put “flu” in the Label box.
· Offer your help to those who are coping with the flu. If we hear that anyone needs help – perhaps items from the grocery store or a big pot of soup - we’ll post a request on the blog. We won’t post a name, just the need. Meanwhile, if you are willing to be contacted for flu-related needs, please call Carol so she can add you to the list of flu-season helpers.
· Cleaning will help us stay healthy.
· When your group meets, offer to wash tables & counters even if there is no meal. According to the CDC, soap and water is sufficient to kill the viruses.
· Wash your hands with soap and water. Hand sanitizer is also available for children and youth and at fellowship hour. Use serving utensils.
The Center for Disease Control has excellent information on the seasonal (http://www.cdc.gov/flu/index.htm) and H1N1 (http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/) flu.
Flu vaccine availability is posted on the Wake County Health and Human Services website at http://www.wakegov.com/flu/. You can also track local flu information.
You can join a friendly group in worship without leaving your home. The UCC’s Prayer Chapel meets for 30 minutes Monday-Friday at noon and at 9pm. You don’t need to join. When Jane has visited the Prayer Chapel, she has “met” weary caregivers seeking the Spirit’s strength and people praying for sick friends.
· Go to i.ucc.org (no www).
· Click on “GATHER in our real-time Prayer Chapel” on the right of the page.
· It may take a minute for the page to appear. (If you do not have “Java”, you may need to add it before you proceed. A message will appear with a link to the Java site. It is free. Once you have gotten Java, return to i.UCC.org.)
· A “Connect” box will appear. Type in your name or a nickname. You aren’t joining, just introducing yourself.
· Click on “Connect.”
· You will then see the names of other people at the prayer service.
· When the service begins, you will see the words of the leader and others in the large box. If you want to “say” anything (such as request a prayer), type your message at the bottom of the box.