I have been staying with friends in Bay Park, a community in San Diego since March. Yes, we are still getting along. We are all healthy and “sheltering in place”. This has meant that we get our groceries and other necessities delivered to the house. I have not been inside a grocery store for over two months. Wow.

Why are we doing this, well, we are in the demographic that needs to be careful (67 years young), I was treated for thyroid cancer in February and Cynthia is recovering from foot surgery. We have all felt it is best to stay away from the stores.

Since early March we have been diligently trying to find disinfectant sprays that are recommended for Covid-19. Do you know how hard they are to find? Some stores have it but you have to go to the store and pick it up. We continue to choose to social distance from others.  Amazon delivers on-line but they are “out of stock”. Walmart, CVS, Riteaid, Target, Home Depot…..Out Of Stock!!

Enter Nextdoor.com. I have had experiences with this social media platform since Elsie the Cat disappeared from my rig, November 3, 2019. The people in the community of Santee have been amazing and continue to be so. When I posted my lost cat on Nextdoor, I met Tanya. She is all things animals in the east county area. Although I have never met her I feel like she became a friend. And, to this day the Santee community is keeping an eye out for my now, 15-year-old kitty. I am so thankful for their caring, for a little lost kitty.

I noticed that as we began to “shelter in place” the communities on Nextdoor reached out. They have reached out to their neighbors, to seniors, and to anyone in need. Some people even set up tables near the street with extra items. People would come and pick up something they needed and drop off what they had in excess. They also shopped for people who could not go to the store.

When I moved to Bay Park I signed up with Nextdoor in this area. Out of frustration and running extremely low on disinfectant spray and toilet paper I posted on Nextdoor and offered an exchange of paper towels for anyone who had what we needed.

Within a very short time, the answers started coming in. I was told what stores had toilet paper. Then the offers started. Thanks to Emma, we now have Lysol disinfectant and TP. She even threw in some Clorox wipes. Thanks to Howard we have enough TP not to worry about running out. Today I got another offer for TP. I turned the offer down and told Bobby to hold onto it until the next person in need surfaces. I have now experienced another amazing Nextdoor community and I am grateful.

Nextdoor has shown me a sense of community. The kindness of people has shone through. The willingness of individuals to help others continues to be a wonderful experience for me. It has shown me the kindness of others, and the willingness to help, no matter what the crisis is. People care about their neighborhoods and they care about each other. They may not always agree yet they continue to support and help each other. They create strong communities through this social media platform.

Besides communicating and pleas for help, Nextdoor also had a market place where you can shop locally for free or sale items. Because it is local all one has to do is drive somewhere in the neighborhood to pick it up. Local Businesses, Real Estate, Lost & Found, Events and more are listed. I have to admit I have not taken the time to explore it in depth. I do know that Nextdoor will remain a part of my life wherever I roam in my little RV.

I will always be grateful to those who reached out to me and my friends when the plea for supplies was posted. Thank you, Bay Park, thank you, Santee, and for all those communities that are out there helping, supporting and caring about each other.