To Our Foundation Friends,
First and foremost, we sincerely hope you are remaining safe and healthy during these unusual times, and following the guidance provided by leading government and public health officials to help mitigate the threat posed by the Coronavirus. If you have any questions about the best ways you can help protect yourself and those around you, the Centers for Disease Control has some very helpful information here.
As you might expect, the Bush Center entities – which include the George & Barbara Bush Foundation, the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum and the Bush School of Government and Public Service – are doing our part to combat the spread of the Coronavirus by cancelling, until further notice, all public events. In addition, the National Archives has closed all presidential libraries including the George H. W. Presidential Library and Museum, and the George Bush School of Government and Public Service is following Texas A&M University directives regarding student and teaching protocols.
We will be sure to keep you informed when the Foundation, and our George H. W. Bush Presidential Center partners at the Library and School, are ready to resume normal operations.
George and Barbara Bush were people of action, and they would want us to share the best ways we can all work together to fight this COVID-19 outbreak. A recent article from the New York Times had three proactive steps worth considering:
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- Donate to your local food bank. Donating money, not food, gives food banks greater flexibility over which supplies to offer.
- Offer assistance to at-risk neighbors. Offering to pick up prescriptions or groceries or other assistance can be reassuring to those most vulnerable and facing uncertainty.
- Stock up, then stop. Panic buying just contributes to shortages — and more panic. If you already have 30 days’ worth of prescriptions, food, and household supplies at home, stop shopping.
In the meantime, if like many people you are looking for educational programming options to help see you through your social distancing obligations, we invite you to view some of the Foundation’s previous events — including Secretary James A. Baker, III and Marlin Fitzwater discussing the Fall of the Berlin Wall, and President Bill Clinton and Governor Jeb Bush discussing the 1989 Education Summit. These and many other wonderful programs can be found by visiting the Foundation’s YouTube page.
In addition, the Foundation last Fall launched a wonderful podcast called All the Best, which is hosted by the Bushes’ grandson Sam LeBlond. Featuring interviews with members of the Bush family as well as the Bushes’ closest friends, each episode is an entertaining and uplifting look at the legacies of the 41st President and his amazing wife. Click here to listen for yourself!
Finally for now, for those of you with children missing school, our friends at the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy have taken the lead to create a timely online educational toolkit for at-home learning. Click here to access this wonderful resource.
George and Barbara Bush were ever the optimists because they believed in the goodness, the genius and the resilience of our people to overcome any hardship. As we work through this current challenge together under the leadership of our healthcare experts, let us be mindful of the elderly, those already facing health concerns, and the less fortunate among us.
The Bushes also placed the highest priority on their faith, family and friends – and with that in mind, if there is anything we can do to help you our closest friends, please know we are here for you.
All the Best,
David B. Jones
President & CEO
George & Barbara Bush Foundation