STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

A Blaine Recovery Committee has been formed to develop a recovery plan in response to the COVID-19 crisis, which produced a high per capita rate of infection in the Sun Valley area.

The committee will focus on business, nonprofit and personal recovery. That includes economic, physical health and medical services, mental and spiritual health, food resources and youth.

The first step will to build a bilingual multi-agency online resource center (MARC) that will connect resources to the community.

The committee will offer a coordinated response to recovery and serve as a clearinghouse to coordinate private philanthropy, and nonprofit and government support to those affected, said Chris Corwin, Blaine County Disaster Services coordinator. One of the challenges will be producing up-to-date, accurate and reliable information to reduce key barriers to effective recovery.

Since the beginning, the pandemic has had a disproportionate health and economic impact on the county, said Jacob Greenberg, Chairman of the Blaine County Commissioners. Coordination between the county, nonprofit and business communities and faith-based organizations will ensure a rapid, effective recovery, he added.

“Our community is fortunate to have dedicated government, nonprofit and business leaders coming together to maximize results,” added Sun Valley Institute Founder Aimee Christensen.

The committee includes leaders from government, the nonprofit sector, business and faith-based communities.

The BCR Steering Committee includes Aimee Christensen of Sun Valley Institute, Scott Fortner of Visit Sun Valley, Sally Gillespie of Spur Community Foundation, Harry Griffith of Sun Valley Economic Development and Mike Higgs of Blaine County Chaplaincy.

Others include Mary Fauth, Blaine County Charitable Foundation; Jim Keating, Blaine County Recreation District; Laurie Strand, Blaine County School District and 5B Suicide Prevention Alliance; Mike McKenna, The Chamber; Tammy Davis, Crisis Hotline; Lindsay Mollineaux, Environmental Resource Center, and Ryan Redman, Flourish Foundation.

Also, Carol Waller, Fly Sun Valley Alliance; Lisa Emerick and Steve Guthrie, Friedman Memorial Airport; Jeanne Liston, The Hunger Coalition; Christina Cernansky and Brittany Shipley, NAMI; Herbert Romero, PROJECT.O.O.L.S; Lorna Hoopes, Red Cross; Erin Pfaeffle, St. Luke’s Wood River; Wendolyn Holland, Sun Valley Institute, Sarah Busdon and Grant Loomis, University of Idaho Extension; Stacy McLaughlin, West Magic Fire District, and Jason Shearer, Wood River Community YMCA.