When the World Stopped: Building—and Keeping—Our COVID-19 Archive

Editor’s Note

This page serves two purposes: first, as a narrative of how we responded in March 2020—starting with mask-making and evolving into a near-daily information digest—and second, as a primary source for anyone studying grassroots information work during the pandemic. We’ve preserved entries as they were posted, including links that may now be moved or missing, to reflect what was knowable at the time. If you’re a journalist, historian, or researcher, you’re welcome to reference or quote from this archive and contact us for process details, templates, and lessons learned.
Contact: info@workingarts.com or reach us via our site’s contact page.

TL;DR: In March 2020, we started with masks and moved quickly to a near-daily information digest—global, national, statewide, and local—curated for clarity and usefulness. We’ve kept the archive online as a historical record of what one small team did to help a community navigate uncertainty. Some links may no longer resolve; the record remains intact for context.

March 2020: The Day Everything Paused

In mid-March 2020, when the world seemed to freeze and panic rippled across our small blue dot, we did two things that felt immediately useful. First, we cut, stitched, and delivered masks to our local hospital while supply chains scrambled to catch up. Then, stuck at home like everyone else, we turned to what we know best: organizing information so people can act on it. We created a COVID-19 page and (almost) daily newsletter emailed to whomever wanted to receive it.

What began as a way to steady ourselves became an almost-daily public digest. In March 2020, before the effort was fully formed, we had already started monitoring reports and sharing key updates with a small circle of family and friends. By June, we chose to formalize the process, defining the scope, establishing a consistent format, and broadening the focus, so that what had started informally could serve a wider audience. From that point on, we tracked the pandemic globally, nationally, statewide, and locally, giving readers a single, calm place to see what had changed and what to do next.

What We Did (and Why)

• • Made and mobilized. Mask-making for frontline staff came first. Communication followed, because clear information is its own kind of PPE.

• • Published consistently. We settled into a daily (or near-daily) rhythm—collect, verify, summarize, link, and publish.

• • Layered context. Each post stepped from global → U.S. → California → local to keep the big picture and the neighborhood impact in view at the same time.

• • Served a purpose. The goal was practical calm—signal over noise—so families, schools, small businesses, and public servants could make decisions.

How We Worked (Process & Standards)

• • Primary sources first. We prioritized official health guidance and primary data, then added reputable reporting for context.

• • Plain language. We wrote for fast comprehension under stress: short sections, consistent labels, predictable order.

• • Transparency. Each entry preserved dates, links, and phrasing relevant to that day’s understanding.

• • Accessibility & reach. We considered readability, mobile scanning, and share-ability so updates could travel quickly.

• • Editorial ethics. We avoided speculation, flagged uncertainty, and corrected course as new evidence emerged.

What You’ll Find in the Archive

• • Timelines and milestones as they unfolded, not as later summaries remember them.

• • Public health updates—policy shifts, guidance changes, and practical “what this means” notes.

• • Local services info—closures, reopenings, school and community updates, relief resources.

• • Practical links for families, educators, and small businesses trying to operate under changing rules.

We don’t present this as medical advice. We preserve it as a record—helpful, informative, and sometimes just anecdotally curious—of what we witnessed and how we responded.

A Note About the Links

Some of the links in this archive may no longer work or may display content different from what was originally published. Articles have been moved, updated, or—in some cases—removed entirely. That’s the internet’s natural churn, and it’s also a reminder of how quickly information shifted during a crisis. We’ve kept the original references intact to preserve the context of what was available at the time.

The Grassroots Network (Hello, Journalists & Researchers)

What began as a personal process of daily research grew into a small mailing list—built entirely by word of mouth—of people who asked to receive the updates directly. We weren’t the only ones doing this. Across towns and sectors, similar efforts popped up: neighbors aggregating resources, teachers sharing plain-English explainers, local groups tracking closures and aid.

Taken together, these small, improvised efforts formed a wider grassroots response to uncertainty. For journalists, historians, and civic researchers, this archive offers one story among many about how ordinary people stepped up to make sense of an extraordinary time.

Lessons We’d Share With Anyone Building a Rapid-Response Info Hub

• • Decide the backbone early. Pick your sections and order (e.g., Global → U.S. → State → Local) and stick to it. Familiar structure lowers cognitive load.

• • Name your sources. Link to primaries. Summarize in your own words. Timestamp everything.

• • Reduce friction. Short paragraphs, scannable bullets, decisive headings, mobile-friendly layout.

• • Track what changes. People need deltas (“what changed since yesterday?”) more than static backgrounders.

• • Be explicit about uncertainty. Label gaps and unknowns; don’t predict.

• • Publish consistently—even small. Cadence builds trust. A tight daily snapshot beats an occasional epic.

• • Mind the emotional tone. Calm, candid, and local beats sensational.

• • Plan your exit. Know when to slow cadence, how to archive, and how to explain link rot over time.

We’re happy to share templates, editorial checklists, and roles (research, verification, editing, publishing) with anyone studying or documenting this kind of work. The goal is knowledge-sharing, not sales.

Why Keep It Live Now?

Time has passed, but the lessons remain. For future teams facing disruption—public agencies, schools, healthcare providers, and small businesses—this archive offers a concrete example of crisis communication done with steadiness, empathy, and facts. For families and future researchers, it’s a snapshot of how one community navigated uncertainty together.

Some of the links in this archive may no longer work or may display content different from what was originally published. Articles have been moved, updated, or in some cases removed entirely—part of the natural ebb and flow of the internet, and a reminder of how quickly information can shift during a crisis. We’ve kept the original references intact to preserve the context of what was available at the time. Even if some sources have disappeared, the archive itself remains a snapshot of how events were communicated, interpreted, and understood in the moment.

We don’t present this as medical advice. We preserve it as a record—helpful, informative, and sometimes just anecdotally curious—of what we witnessed and how we responded.

Along the way, what began as a personal process of daily research grew into a small mailing list, built entirely by word of mouth, of people who wanted the updates delivered directly. Others were doing similar work in their communities, and together these small, improvised efforts became part of a wider grassroots response to uncertainty.

We assembled a team lf volunteers who has a sewing machine at home, researched and downloaded mask patterns that worked for health workers, and produced hundreds of durable masks that could take the beating of industrial laundry machines for our local hospital workers. Thank you to all who participated. They are recognized in the COVID-19 archive.

For historical interest—and perhaps for future journalists, researchers, or anyone studying how ordinary people stepped up to make sense of an extraordinary time—this archive is one story among many. It shows how information, shared with care and persistence, helped carry a community through.

If You’re Exploring This for the First Time

Start with a few entries spaced weeks apart to see how policies and guidance evolved. Notice how small, local details often carried the most immediate relevance. And if you’re a journalist or researcher digging into grassroots information work from 2020–2021, we’re open to interviews about process, pitfalls, and what we’d do differently next time.
Contact: [info@workingarts.com] or reach us via our site’s contact page.

Thank you to the neighbors, healthcare workers, educators, and small business owners who shared updates, asked better questions, and kept each other going. This archive is as much yours as it is ours.Herramientas