At Bluestem, we understand that what we create with our homeowners is more than just a beautiful space. Your home is a place to create belonging, to care for family, friends and neighbors.

In this challenging and uncertain time, our sense of belonging to each other is critical to our well-being and to the strength of our community. Belonging says that we will be okay together, that we will look out for each other, and that we will safeguard the most vulnerable in our midst. Belonging is an action we extend out in circles around us.

Here are some of the steps Bluestem is taking to extend care to our homeowners, to our co-workers, and to our community:

• We are committed to the CDC’s and other public health official’s advisories to help slow and eventually stop the spread of COVID-19 in our community. History and science demonstrate that prudent, simple actions can go a long way to protect those most vulnerable.
• Bluestem Office Staff have gone to an alternating work-from-home schedule to limit contact between our staff members, and many are now working from home full-time. In-person staff meetings have been moved to on-line. Any staff member who may have travelled to an outbreak area, or had contact with an infected individual, will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to work.
• We have requested that all staff engage in “social distancing”: avoid physical contact such as handshakes, maintain a 3-6-foot distance from other individuals whenever possible, and reduce all unnecessary travel, social outings, or community events with large crowds.
• We are stepping up the sanitation of work surfaces in all Bluestem work areas.
• In our customer’s homes we are sealing off work areas as is practical within the home. We are asking clients to avoid entering these areas except when needed to inspect work or give approvals.
• Bluestem Staff members are sanitizing their hands upon entering homes and also at regular intervals throughout the day. We are also requesting this of our partners.
• Bluestem Staff have paid sick leave and are being encouraged to stay home or work from home if they are showing any signs of illness.
• We are continuing to monitor the progress and quality of the work through appropriately-cautious in-person meetings, virtual meetings and other forms of communication.
• We are adjusting work schedules in homes to reduce the total number of persons in the home at any one time and to limit contact between various business groups (i.e., scheduling partners so they do not occupy the same space at the same time).

To our homeowners:
As the situation is developing daily, we would ask for your patience and understanding as we respond to the changing circumstances. We will communicate with you as soon as we have updated information that might affect the work on your home. We will strive to limit your disruption while acting in the best interests of all of us collectively.

We believe the leadership and actions needed to reduce the effect of this crisis can be undertaken by all of us at all levels.

Wishing you all health and peace as we all work through this together.

Sincerely,
The Bluestem Team