Does this sound familiar? In October 1918, the Spanish Flu reached Hastings and the surrounding area. Within three short weeks, 200 cases were identified in Hastings alone, causing churches, schools, and recreation and entertainment facilities to temporarily close. The Women’s Club and the Red Cross stepped in to help families in need of food. People who had recovered from the illness helped tired nurses with patients. When communities started reopening, schoolchildren attended classes wearing masks and people were told to distance themselves at church services. Six months later, over 100 citizens of Hastings had died from the epidemic and the complications it brought.

Fast forward to today. The Hastings Museum would like to record the history of the current pandemic and how it is affecting our community. Share your journals of how this has changed your lifestyle. Serving meals or coffee, making grocery runs for neighbor in need, or donating blood? Working from home, turning your living room into a gym, or living off the grid? Making face masks or other personal protective gear? Let us know and save us a sample, we’ll want those later! For now, we just want your stories!

Businesses — how are you adapting to the changing demands? Have you repurposed your facility to make products to help the medical field? Have you had to lay people off? Have you found alternative revenue streams?