Santa Clarita Valley high school students have taken productivity to a whole new level amid the coronavirus pandemic that has ordered people to stay home and school campuses to shut down to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
You may have already seen some of them, geared up with gloves and masks, delivering groceries at your doorstep or helping out Santa Clarita Valley’s homeless shelter, Bridge to Home.
They are Six Feet Solutions, a new “coalition of activated youth that seeks to tackle different issues arising from the COVID-19 outbreak.”
The students, most of whom are seniors and juniors at West Ranch and Valencia high schools, have teamed up virtually to create seven sub-organizations operating under Six Feet Solutions that aim to address various communities, ranging from older adults to those experiencing homelessness, and topics such as fitness, studying and food delivery.
While many are still in the works, Six Feet Solutions was born following the success of Six Feet Supplies, which has been operating across the SCV, with more than a dozen teenagers delivering food and supplies at no cost to residents in an effort to help keep the community safe and at home.
The idea came from students Zoe Gianna Monterola, 17, of Valencia High, and Eric Luo, 17, of West Ranch High, and others in their Global Prep Academy class (an after-school program), after a Zoom conference with one of their teachers.
“Over Zoom, (our teacher) told us about how he woke up to an unexpected act of kindness when his neighbor left a note on his door saying, ‘If you need groceries or anything, please feel free to call me.’ This immediately prompted me to think, ‘Why can’t we have this on a larger scale here in SCV,’” said Monterola.
The student-run organization operates strategically, with some teens logging orders via a spreadsheet, others gather data on service quality and customer service, while others take care of more practical tasks such as getting the groceries and delivering them.
Six Feet Solution also includes:
Six Feet Shelter
Six Feet Shelter, created by Amanda Fife, 17, of West Ranch, works specifically for those who are experiencing homelessness by gathering donations and fresh lunches to Bridge to Home.
The sub-organization has also provided games and entertainment for those sheltering at Newhall Community Center with Bridge to Home, and has helped redesign the community center with art to bring the temporary shelter more color.
Six Feet Strong
Staying home doesn’t mean people have to cancel fitness. Six Feet Strong helps residents stay active via social media workout and motivational content as gyms and outside amenities remain closed.
Creator Jenine Mariano, 17, or West Ranch, said, “The way I would just sit at home feeling unproductive, lazy, and that I wasn’t getting the exercise my body needed, led me to realize there is a whole valley stuck in quarantine likely doing the same.”
The sub-organization can be found on Instagram @6feetstrong_.
Six Feet Support
Six Feet Support focuses on providing mental support to those who might feel anxious, lonely or stressed due to stay-at-home directives and other challenges brought forth by COVID-19 developments.
Founder Sydney McDonald, 17, of West Ranch, said, “Through this project, we can offer conversations, stories and just someone to talk to those who feel alone by reaching out to younger students who are welcoming and (offer) an engaging conversation.”
There are also Six Feet Stories, which serves as a platform for the community to share positive testimonies about physical distancing; Six Feet Skills, a sub-organization aiming to elevate skill sets through workshops; and Six Feet Studying, which offers online academic resources for students who are struggling academically.
To learn more about each organization, visit sixfeetsolutions.com. For all local coronavirus-related stories, visit: signalscv.com/2020/03/covid-19-coverage-summary.
