For Dorie Cowling, the commute to work has never been easier.
Her home office that includes a laptop computer and television-size monitor is set up in a room just a few steps from her bedroom.
“I do actually get dressed,” laughed Cowling, who is a social media lead for Crossroads Christian Communications and its television program 100 Huntley Street.
Her job is to edit and post program-related content on social media and on the website.
Cowling, who has a background in Hamilton radio news, has been working full time from home since early March, something she was already used to.
“I’ve been lucky to have been able to work from home two days a week prior to the pandemic,” Cowling said.
Her days usually start around 8 a.m. and can run up to 11 hours.
“I’m always busy,” said the east Mountain resident. “I try to pace myself and spread the work out through the day.”
With the coronavirus pandemic, Cowling noted all the programming is recorded online via Zoom and she meets with her colleagues three times a week also by Zoom.
Rebel, a five-month-old puppy and one of her two dogs, often sits on her lap during the online meetings.
“The difficulty is I really enjoy collaborative teamwork and I miss seeing my fellow works in person,” Cowling said. “We’re quite a family.
Cowling noted their prayer lines which are being answered by 100 volunteers working from home are receiving over 1,600 calls a day on matters ranging from faith to personal issues to the pandemic.
On the central Mountain, Tim Tuck has set up an office in the corner of his basement rec room.
“I usually start around 9 a.m. and I try to build in time to get out and take some breaks with the dogs on the deck,” said the program co-ordinator and professor in Mohawk College’s public relations certificate program. “I’ve tried to maintain a Monday to Friday work schedule, I think you have to discipline yourself.”
Tuck, along with three part-time faculty, have been teaching 17 students from home since March 16.
“I do once-a-week check-ins with students on Zoom and daily email follow-ups where required,” he said.
He also uses Zoom for college co-ordinator and departmental meetings that are held three times a week.
All his lessons are available to students online and completed assignments are sent to him by email.
Tuck noted one of the things they teach is crisis communications and the pandemic has given his students an invaluable opportunity to write crisis communications plans for some non-profit groups in the city.
“They are experiencing in real time what it is like to function during a crisis,” said Tuck who noted his students are coping well with being out of the classroom since mid-March. “I am impressed with my class.”
On the west Mountain, Ward 8 councillor John-Paul Danko has been working from home on his laptop since mid-March.
His wife Dawn, Ward 7 trustee and vice-chair of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and curriculum development specialist at Mohawk College, is also working from home.
“Dawn’s got the office and I’ve got the kitchen table,” Danko said. “I think the biggest thing is setting those boundaries, between nine and five you’re at work.”
Danko said most of his contact with constituents is by email.
Most have been coronavirus-related in the past few weeks along with community issues like potholes and parking.
His office staff, who are also working from home, are reviewing all the requests before passing them on to him.
The councillor said the challenge is to provide people with accurate information on a matter that is evolving almost daily.
“Try to point people in the right direction for support,” he said.
Danko said he expects to get busier now that city council and committee meetings have resumed online, and he plans to try and take some breaks during the day.
“I go out and shoot baskets in the driveway for 10 minutes,” he said.
Danko who has an 11-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, said the pandemic has enabled the family to spend some time together again.
“It was rare if we were all at home at the same time for dinner,” he said, adding his children have gotten into a new routine of online learning.
Danko said his children are also getting out in the neighbourhood playing Pokémon Go their smartphones while practicing physical distancing.
“I really recognize how fortunate we are as a family to be able to stay home,” he said. “We don’t have that stress of someone in health care.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News was interested to see how some Mountain residents are managing working from home and any tips they might offer.
For Dorie Cowling, the commute to work has never been easier.
Her home office that includes a laptop computer and television-size monitor is set up in a room just a few steps from her bedroom.
“I do actually get dressed,” laughed Cowling, who is a social media lead for Crossroads Christian Communications and its television program 100 Huntley Street.
Her job is to edit and post program-related content on social media and on the website.
Cowling, who has a background in Hamilton radio news, has been working full time from home since early March, something she was already used to.
“I’ve been lucky to have been able to work from home two days a week prior to the pandemic,” Cowling said.
Her days usually start around 8 a.m. and can run up to 11 hours.
“I’m always busy,” said the east Mountain resident. “I try to pace myself and spread the work out through the day.”
With the coronavirus pandemic, Cowling noted all the programming is recorded online via Zoom and she meets with her colleagues three times a week also by Zoom.
Rebel, a five-month-old puppy and one of her two dogs, often sits on her lap during the online meetings.
“The difficulty is I really enjoy collaborative teamwork and I miss seeing my fellow works in person,” Cowling said. “We’re quite a family.
Cowling noted their prayer lines which are being answered by 100 volunteers working from home are receiving over 1,600 calls a day on matters ranging from faith to personal issues to the pandemic.
On the central Mountain, Tim Tuck has set up an office in the corner of his basement rec room.
“I usually start around 9 a.m. and I try to build in time to get out and take some breaks with the dogs on the deck,” said the program co-ordinator and professor in Mohawk College’s public relations certificate program. “I’ve tried to maintain a Monday to Friday work schedule, I think you have to discipline yourself.”
Tuck, along with three part-time faculty, have been teaching 17 students from home since March 16.
“I do once-a-week check-ins with students on Zoom and daily email follow-ups where required,” he said.
He also uses Zoom for college co-ordinator and departmental meetings that are held three times a week.
All his lessons are available to students online and completed assignments are sent to him by email.
Tuck noted one of the things they teach is crisis communications and the pandemic has given his students an invaluable opportunity to write crisis communications plans for some non-profit groups in the city.
“They are experiencing in real time what it is like to function during a crisis,” said Tuck who noted his students are coping well with being out of the classroom since mid-March. “I am impressed with my class.”
On the west Mountain, Ward 8 councillor John-Paul Danko has been working from home on his laptop since mid-March.
His wife Dawn, Ward 7 trustee and vice-chair of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and curriculum development specialist at Mohawk College, is also working from home.
“Dawn’s got the office and I’ve got the kitchen table,” Danko said. “I think the biggest thing is setting those boundaries, between nine and five you’re at work.”
Danko said most of his contact with constituents is by email.
Most have been coronavirus-related in the past few weeks along with community issues like potholes and parking.
His office staff, who are also working from home, are reviewing all the requests before passing them on to him.
The councillor said the challenge is to provide people with accurate information on a matter that is evolving almost daily.
“Try to point people in the right direction for support,” he said.
Danko said he expects to get busier now that city council and committee meetings have resumed online, and he plans to try and take some breaks during the day.
“I go out and shoot baskets in the driveway for 10 minutes,” he said.
Danko who has an 11-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, said the pandemic has enabled the family to spend some time together again.
“It was rare if we were all at home at the same time for dinner,” he said, adding his children have gotten into a new routine of online learning.
Danko said his children are also getting out in the neighbourhood playing Pokémon Go their smartphones while practicing physical distancing.
“I really recognize how fortunate we are as a family to be able to stay home,” he said. “We don’t have that stress of someone in health care.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News was interested to see how some Mountain residents are managing working from home and any tips they might offer.
For Dorie Cowling, the commute to work has never been easier.
Her home office that includes a laptop computer and television-size monitor is set up in a room just a few steps from her bedroom.
“I do actually get dressed,” laughed Cowling, who is a social media lead for Crossroads Christian Communications and its television program 100 Huntley Street.
Her job is to edit and post program-related content on social media and on the website.
Cowling, who has a background in Hamilton radio news, has been working full time from home since early March, something she was already used to.
“I’ve been lucky to have been able to work from home two days a week prior to the pandemic,” Cowling said.
Her days usually start around 8 a.m. and can run up to 11 hours.
“I’m always busy,” said the east Mountain resident. “I try to pace myself and spread the work out through the day.”
With the coronavirus pandemic, Cowling noted all the programming is recorded online via Zoom and she meets with her colleagues three times a week also by Zoom.
Rebel, a five-month-old puppy and one of her two dogs, often sits on her lap during the online meetings.
“The difficulty is I really enjoy collaborative teamwork and I miss seeing my fellow works in person,” Cowling said. “We’re quite a family.
Cowling noted their prayer lines which are being answered by 100 volunteers working from home are receiving over 1,600 calls a day on matters ranging from faith to personal issues to the pandemic.
On the central Mountain, Tim Tuck has set up an office in the corner of his basement rec room.
“I usually start around 9 a.m. and I try to build in time to get out and take some breaks with the dogs on the deck,” said the program co-ordinator and professor in Mohawk College’s public relations certificate program. “I’ve tried to maintain a Monday to Friday work schedule, I think you have to discipline yourself.”
Tuck, along with three part-time faculty, have been teaching 17 students from home since March 16.
“I do once-a-week check-ins with students on Zoom and daily email follow-ups where required,” he said.
He also uses Zoom for college co-ordinator and departmental meetings that are held three times a week.
All his lessons are available to students online and completed assignments are sent to him by email.
Tuck noted one of the things they teach is crisis communications and the pandemic has given his students an invaluable opportunity to write crisis communications plans for some non-profit groups in the city.
“They are experiencing in real time what it is like to function during a crisis,” said Tuck who noted his students are coping well with being out of the classroom since mid-March. “I am impressed with my class.”
On the west Mountain, Ward 8 councillor John-Paul Danko has been working from home on his laptop since mid-March.
His wife Dawn, Ward 7 trustee and vice-chair of the Hamilton Wentworth District School Board and curriculum development specialist at Mohawk College, is also working from home.
“Dawn’s got the office and I’ve got the kitchen table,” Danko said. “I think the biggest thing is setting those boundaries, between nine and five you’re at work.”
Danko said most of his contact with constituents is by email.
Most have been coronavirus-related in the past few weeks along with community issues like potholes and parking.
His office staff, who are also working from home, are reviewing all the requests before passing them on to him.
The councillor said the challenge is to provide people with accurate information on a matter that is evolving almost daily.
“Try to point people in the right direction for support,” he said.
Danko said he expects to get busier now that city council and committee meetings have resumed online, and he plans to try and take some breaks during the day.
“I go out and shoot baskets in the driveway for 10 minutes,” he said.
Danko who has an 11-year-old son and a 13-year-old daughter, said the pandemic has enabled the family to spend some time together again.
“It was rare if we were all at home at the same time for dinner,” he said, adding his children have gotten into a new routine of online learning.
Danko said his children are also getting out in the neighbourhood playing Pokémon Go their smartphones while practicing physical distancing.
“I really recognize how fortunate we are as a family to be able to stay home,” he said. “We don’t have that stress of someone in health care.”
THE STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Hamilton Community News was interested to see how some Mountain residents are managing working from home and any tips they might offer.