CORE Response - Annual Report 2020

11 www.COREresponse.org
“I came on this job for a reason,”
said Lloyd. “I had to do something.
I’m a carpenter and I love
building. I was so happy to find
this job because I could finally do
something to help. This is what I do
and this is what I’m about.”
“Her whole family got it, but the rest of
them recovered. She went to the hospital
and stayed there for a month, then she got
worse,” said Lloyd. “That was one of the
worst feelings, being so helpless. You can’t
visit, you can’t comfort her.”
A month after the tragic loss of his kin,
Lloyd joined CORE as head foreman of the
Shielding Shelter team building shelters to
provide multigenerational, overcrowded
houses with auxiliary space to proactively
shield elders and vulnerable family members
from COVID-19 and quarantine when
needed.
With our partners at the Navajo government,
Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian
Health, Protect the Sacred, and other local
organizations, CORE’s integrated relief
efforts helped flatten the curve and slow the
rapid spread of COVID-19 on the reservation
through a combination of testing, tracing,
and wraparound services, including
shelters and hygiene kits, to address
widespread lack of infrastructure.
The success of the efforts was fueled
by inspired local staff, who worked
tirelessly to provide resources to protect
their fellow Diné community members,
especially their beloved elders, and keep
their culture alive during the pandemic.
For many, like Lloyd, it was more than a
job. It was everything.
“I want each shelter to be the best it can
be for these families. When I see the
purpose of something then I pour all my
effort into it,” Lloyd said. “If it comes from
your heart, you don’t get tired as fast. If
your mindset is there, physically it just
comes naturally. And when you love what
you’re doing, time flies.”