Closures:

The Town of Matthews has closed its facilities through May 8. Advisory and committee meetings are also canceled through May 8. The March 23 Board of Commissioners meeting has been canceled. The April meetings will be considered closer to the meeting dates. Further information can be found on the Town’s website.

All Charlotte Mecklenburg Libraries have closed into the foreseeable future. Yes, that includes the Matthews branch. The good news is that all their online resources are still available.

Greater Charlotte YMCAs are also closed. If you’re a member they are offering some online classes. If you’re not a member, many other websites are offering free classes. Website Mind Body Green is waiving fees on a few holistic wellness classes. Planet fitness is streaming free classes on their Facebook page, open to members and nonmembers.

Renfrow’s has closed and will use their time to reconfigure business going forward. It was impossible to maintain the retail shop with appropriate social distancing measures in place. 

Community Assistance:

Matthews-based law firm Garrity & Gossage is collecting non-perishables for seniors and families in our area. Check out their Amazon list to make purchases and have them shipped directly to our office. Staff will deliver to seniors and arrange for families to pick up what they need.

Education:

After a bit of nail biting and back-and-forth, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools will close for at least two weeks in response to COVID-19. Initially the school board announced an early spring break as an alternative that would allow teachers and staff to be paid while off. On Saturday it was announced all K-12 public schools will be closed for two weeks under a declaration by the governor and state health department. Through the executive order teachers will be paid. 

K-12 public schools are closed. Teachers are sending out curriculum but there are plenty of online learning opportunities. Check out Mr. B’s music lessons, and Mrs Green’s art lessons. Looking for science? Check out the Cincinnati Zoo’s online safari.

Healthcare:

With TP and hand sanitizer in short supply, the County and CDC continue to provide tips to stay healthy during COVID-19 season. To reiterate, Mecklenburg County has a site dedicated to updated info on the novel coronavirus outbreak.  The website includes various resources and updates on the impact of COVID-19 on our community and uses Google translate. The county, CMS, Novant, Atrium, and other key organizations provided a Facebook Live update yesterday. Governor Roy Cooper provided a live update yesterday, as well.

Novant has a helpful webpage with important information about Coronavirus.

There are two coronavirus testing sites in Matthews: Tryon Medical Group has opened one at the former Rite Aid at the John and 51 intersection (630 Matthews Township Parkway), and Novant has one at by the Brace Y (3330 Siskey Parkway).

School Lunches:

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools are providing free grab-and-go breakfasts and lunches for children under 18 starting today, March 17. Meals will be available Monday through Friday between 10:30 am and 12:30 pm. The pick up location in Matthews is at Crown Point Elementary.

The Loyalist Market, Good Cup Coffee, VeloPops, Your Mom's Donuts, CPCC, and a handful of Charlotte-area businesses are partnering to provide food to children who rely on schools for their meals. Chris Sottile, owner of (and mastermind behind) the Loyalist Market, has figured out how much it will cost for to provide 250 sandwich lunches for the next two weeks. Those are students who rely on the School Lunch Program and the staff preparing the lunches are skilled workers who otherwise wouldn’t be earning a paycheck during this period of social distancing. Want to help? They’ve organized a Go Fund Me. According to Chris, “You'll be backing a strong, honest group of local businesses that are committed to utilizing 100% of your funds towards each of their most insecure youth.“

In addition to the Loyalist Market, Kristopher’s (250 North Trade St.) is offering free lunches for kids on the school lunch program. Stop by and order from a server between 11 am and 3 pm.

Financial Aid:

The Matthews HELP Center is also taking coronavirus precautions:

• The Financial Assistance and Social Service department will be open by phone appointment only Monday- Friday from 9:30- 1:30 for urgent and life essential needs.  Call (704) 847-8383 or visit the website at www.matthewshelpcenter.org and send their team an email.

• The Food Pantry is offering curbside service. If you need food assistance please call ahead at (704) 847-8383.

• The Treasures Thrift Boutique is closed until further notice. Please do not leave donations.

For those with job uncertainty, NC Department of Employment Security has a You Tube video of how to file an unemployment claim.

Food and Essentials:

The Matthews Community Farmers’ Market will be open this Saturday at 8 am. Precautions will be in place to limit personal contact. If you can, order and pay ahead. Your items will already be packaged and waiting for you at the market, avoiding further handling of products and money. See the full list of vendors here.

With the closure of restaurants and bars, keep in mind many places still offer to-go meals. This is by no means a comprehensive list, but is a list of restaurants advertising take out on social media: El Valle, Kristopher’s, the Loyalist Market, Moe’s Original BBQ, Santé, Your Mom’s Donuts (online ordering here). Your Mom’s Donuts is also carrying some goods from local farms, such as meats and jams. They make bread in-house, so odds are good they’ll have bread even when the grocery store is out.

Local Businesses:

Effective immediately, Backyard Birds will be offering convenient curbside service, as well as free delivery within a 15 mile radius ($40 minimum). Just call Backyard Birds (704) 841-9453 and place your order over the phone during business hours. Let us know if you prefer curbside or delivery service and will get your order ready to go.