ELi’s Updates on the Situation in East Lansing

This is an omnibus update on what’s happening here in light of attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Take-out and delivery options: An East Lansing resident has set up a spreadsheet that shows which restaurants are open for take-out and delivery. Just click here. It’s super easy to use and helps you think about which businesses you might help out while you get to eat something different from day-to-day. You can add information and update it as necessary — it is open for that kind of group editing.

Campbell’s has groceries: Downtown green grocer Campbell’s Market Basket (on Grand River Avenue near Bailey Street) will take your order over the phone and bring your groceries out to you when you arrive in the Bailey parking lot (which is free now), or you can use Grub Hub to get delivery from Campbell’s. Campbell’s has a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables (including fresh avocados!), cooking oils, coffee, Stone Circle fresh bread, salami, a lot of cheeses, mayo and BBQ sauce, locally grown eggs, and a lot more. Their phone number is 517-977-1068.

Young people here are willing to help old people here: We have had offers from a couple of college students stuck here to help out older folks who need errands run. Please contact us if you need help and we will connect you with young people whom we know to be reputable individuals.

Call ahead for everything: Many businesses are offering by-appointment help. And keep in mind, obviously, that everything normal may be abnormal — CATA, for example, is reducing bus routes near campus.

The census: The census bureau is telling college students to list as their residence their college addresses. So if you are normally a college student here, you should list your school-year address as your residence for the census. This could matter to East Lansing’s ability to get more federal funding for the next 10 years.

Flowers in windows: A reader writes, “Similar to the Shamrock Hunt for St. Paddy’s day, there will be a window flower hunt [today] to celebrate the first day of spring. Many people in the ‘EL Neighbors & Communities Help Each Other’ Facebook Group enjoyed participating in the Shamrock hunt, so it was proposed to do the same thing with flowers for the first day of spring. Simply put a picture or cutout of a flower in your window for those out walking or driving to find.”

Holiday lights, too? We’ve heard suggestions from people that we might all want to break out our holiday lights and decorate our houses so at least when it is gray and dark out, we feel less blue. Consider that option.

Need us? Contact us.

ELi has a special section dedicated to our reporting on COVID-19 for East Lansing. See it here and sign up for ELi’s mailer to stay informed