Just this morning when I did the Good Morning Gwinnett show I announced that we had over 25k new cases of the the Coronavirus as of last night.  I just recently got an update from the Georgia Department Of Public Health that as of noon today there are 874 new cases of the Coronavirus since yesterday.  That number is huge and I believe that it will only increase as Georgia reopens for business.

As of right now there are 26,033 confirmed cases of the virus here in Georgia.  More than 1,107 people have died from the virus and 5,110 have been hospitalized.

Gwinnett County is in the top ten counties for the number of cases and the number of deaths.  Although Fulton county has the most confirmed cases with 2,799 cases and 118 deaths in Georgia, Dougherty County has the most death with 1,499 cases and 119 deaths.  Gwinnett County stands at number 3 on this list with 1,766 cases and 55 deaths. 

Governor Brian Kemp will be announcing soon whether or not Georgia will be completely reopen as the deadline to reopen ends today.  Kemp has gotten a lot of heat about reopening too soon even from Trump.  We will wait until later today or tomorrow to see if Georgia will completely reopen and what does that mean for the citizens of Georgia.  

No matter what the final decision will be you must still us precautions when you are out and about.  Remember that this virus does not discriminate, so you must protect yourself  and your family at all times.
Stay Safe
Until Next Time
Make It A Great Day!
Audrey

I'm so happy to introduce you to Nicole who is my AI assistant here at Good Morning Gwinnett.  Nicole will be sharing great information about people and places that I can't get to on the show daily.  If you haven't noticed by now, Nicole is Artificial Intelligence.  I strive to make GMG the best podcast and media outlet in the county.  

Nicole will be programmed with best information giving those who visit the site a snapshot into why I love Gwinnett and why it's a great place to live, work and play.  

Thank you for stopping by and getting to know Nicole.
Until Next Time
Make It A Great Day
Audrey

Free Meals for Families in Need Gwinnett County, GA – With schools and many businesses closed and the rate of unemployment increasing each week, families are finding it harder and harder to provide basic necessities for their household. In a collaborative effort to provide meals for families, LETTUM EAT! Inc. has partnered with the Gwinnett County NAACP, First Baptist Church Snellville, Guardian Financial Services, and also Brian Whiteside, Solicitor General of Gwinnett County to take the initiative and stand in the gap for those needy families with LETTUM EAT! Gwinnett - a free meal drive thru distribution event.

LETTUM EAT! Inc. is a mobile food service providing free meals to food insecure individuals and families in local Communities. Our Mission is Mobile Food Provisions Prepared with Care and Served with Compassion to those in Need. We are engaging a large network of resources involving experienced Chefs and Restaurant Professionals and partnering with local Churches with under used professional kitchens and Restaurants and Grocery Stores with daily food surpluses. We employ a formula that will impact Hunger in our Communities in a major way.

LETTUM EAT! Inc. has taken the parameters of those opportunities and developed a plan with the implementation of mobile food trucks to bring relief to individuals and families suffering from Food Insecurity. The goal is to provide at least 2500 meals each week. Since GCPS has been providing breakfast and lunches for families, LETTUM EAT! Gwinnett is focusing on dinners. This drive thru service is scheduled Monday through Fridays from 4:30pm to 6:30pm, starting April 13, 2020. The locations rotate each day: Mondays - First Baptist Church Snellville, 2400 Main St E, Snellville, GA 30078 Tuesdays - Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church, 3458 Church St, Duluth, GA 30096 Wednesdays - Christ the King Dacula, 258 Rabbit Hill Road, Dacula, GA. 30019 Thursdays - Lawrenceville Cooperative Ministries, Inc., 52 Gwinnett Drive, Lawrenceville GA. 30046 Fridays - Norcross; TBD - see website for updates This effort will continue each week, contingent upon contributions.

​Times like these are when we see what communities are made of. It’s during these hardships that we see everyone come together to look out for their neighbors and for those in need. LETTUM EAT! Inc. is spearheading this movement for needy families, but they can’t do it alone. A contribution from the community will allow this effort to continue week after week. All it takes is approximately $10 to feed a family of 5. If you would like more information about Lettum Eat! Gwinnett and contributing to this effort, you can contact Chef Hank at: Instagram @lettumeat / website at https://lettumeat.com/lettum-eat-gwinnett.

I'm so excited to announce that Win It Wednesday contest will start next Wednesday April 15th.  I thought of doing Win It Wednesday while I was home working on what I could do to make Good Morning Gwinnett more fun while also bringing the listeners news and events from around Gwinnett County.  

Good Morning Gwinnett is my podcast I host Monday -Thursday.  On the show I talk about people and places around Gwinnett County.  I also cover news and events beyond Gwinnett.  I also interview special guest on some episodes.  Some of my guests include local politicians, business owners and other community leaders.

In and effort to make the show fun I start off each show with the daily horoscopes and I play music between the episodes.  Now to make the show even more entertaining I'm launching Win It Wednesday.

How Does Win It Wednesday Work?
The way that Win It Wednesday will work is that every Wednesday I will ask a trivia question about something that I said during an episode from the week before or from the current week.  In order for you to be able to possibly get the correct answer you will have to listen to the show.  The first person to call in with the correct answer will win the prize for the day.  You don't have to purchase anything in order to win.  You just have to be the first caller with the correct answer.  The call in number is 678-608-1413 and you must call between 10:35-10:50am EST. You must be a U.S.A. resident to win and close friends and family are not allowed to participate.

What Will The Prizes Be?
The prizes will be anything from gift cards, to concert tickets, to sporting events to branded apparel.  The goal is to give away fun gifts that people can use and enjoy. These gifts will come from me and also from sponsors who would like to provide the show with giveaways.  

Never Miss An Episode!
In order to make sure you know when an episode goes live download the Good Morning Gwinnett app to your phone.  By downloading the app you will also be notified when we are running special contests as well.  To download the app just up take your phone and open up the camera and point it to the picture below to add the app to your phone.

​Help for small business owners is available.  I already submitted my application.  This article was taken from the SBA website talking about what help is available for small business owners.

Overview In response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, small business owners in all U.S. states, Washington D.C., and territories are eligible to apply for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance of up to $10,000. This advance will provide economic relief to businesses that are currently experiencing a temporary loss of revenue. Funds will be made available following a successful application. This loan advance will not have to be repaid.

EligibilityThe SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan provides vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

This program is for any small business with less than 500 employees (including sole proprietorships, independent contractors and self-employed persons), private non-profit organization or 501(c)(19) veterans organizations affected by COVID-19.

Businesses in certain industries may have more than 500 employees if they meet the SBA’s size standards for those industries.
The Economic Injury Disaster Loan advance funds will be made available within days of a successful application, and this loan advance will not have to be repaid. 

Frequently Asked Questions for Faith-Based Organizations Participating in the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program
To apply for a COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan and loan advance, click here.

With so much going on today with the Coronavirus, small business owners and residents are struggling to make ends meet.  That is why the town of Lawrenceville has stepped up to the plate to help its residents.  Lawrenceville Is Offering Financial Support To Residents Who Need Money For Utilities.  If you are in need of help paying your electric bill or your gas bill, you may qualify for support from the Salvation Army. 

​The Salvation Army has $100,000 in support to help those who need help paying their utility bill.  By the time all of the assistance have been given to residents ands small businesses the total amount of money issued out will be around $2 million dollars.  I'm sure that those who are in need of assistance will appreciate the support that the town of Lawrenceville and the Salvation Army are giving them in such a trying time.

For more information about what you need to do to get access to this support listen to the latest episode of Good Morning Gwinnett or you can visit www.AJC.com and click on county to find out more information on this story and how you can get access to the money that is available to assist those who need help paying their utility bills.