GRCA Commerce Quarterly Spring 2020 - 23

GreaterReadingChamber.org

Working from home
can bring the laughs
Manpower

Berks Community Television (BCTV)

For many of us, the coronavirus pandemic has meant a major
adjustment in our life. We are used to spending the majority of
our days apart from our loved ones because we are out of the
house all day working. Now we are faced with the challenge
of living and working alongside our partners around the clock.
My husband was displaced from work due to the COVID-19
situation, but I am working from home. This makes my husband
my "co-worker" at home - trying to call "meetings" about the
dishes in the sink, clothes in the washer or dryer, taking the dog
out, cleaning the bathroom. If he doesn't do these chores, he
can get a warning for insubordination. I think he's really enjoying
working at home and extra time with me.

Tell us way(s) that your company has been innovative
We knew right away that we had to continue to provide open
access information for citizens when they needed it most. In order
to rise to the occasion, and stick to our values, we quickly evaluated
the importance of being informative and not panicked. We immediately created a COVID-19 resource hub to organize pertinent
information for the public, pulled together a page dedicated to
educational resources, started airing the daily Department of
Health briefings, and continued distributing content on all of our
platforms. We have also launched extensive virtual participation.
Our volunteer program producers have answered the call and are
hosting their programs via zoom, and other online resources, and
Berks County writers, residents, and journalists are chronicling
and capturing the stories of this moment in history across our
multimedia channels.
Tell us way(s) that your company has helped its employees
We have access to our office on an as-needed basis for essential
functions, and have set up remote work and connectivity opportunities where they make sense. It all comes down to teamwork
- we've loosened up on our 'job descriptions' and everyone is
pitching in to do what needs to be done for the good of the
organization, and more importantly the community we serve.
Our team is relying on each other to stay safe, work smart, and
be agile. We are focusing on outputs over hours.
Tell us way(s) that your company has helped the community

Muhlenberg Greene Architects
The Office of MG-Architects is an open office concept. Firm
Principal Bob Conklin, AIA, is quite the comical fixture within
that dynamic. He is generally missed when vacationing. About
two years ago, while Bob was on vacation, Firm Principal Scott
Graham, AIA, printed a full-size image of Bob and placed it in
Bob's vacant chair in his absence - and "Paper Bob" was born.
Since then, Paper Bob finds his way around the office from
time to time. Our conversion to a virtual Monday Morning
start of the Work Week Meeting this week included a request
for ZOOM backgrounds - and to our surprise - Paper Bob was
able to attend.

Well, before COVID-19, BCTV was established as an organization that informs and engages citizens through community
media. The pandemic has amplified and reaffirmed the relevancy
of our work. We are dedicated to making sure that elected officials
can be heard, that citizens have a voice, and that people have a
place to exchange ideas. Open access to reliable information that
is focused on Berks County is especially important now when
mainstream media is uncertain territory for a lot of people. We
are committed to doing this!
23

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GRCA Commerce Quarterly Spring 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of GRCA Commerce Quarterly Spring 2020