Midmorning With Aundrea - September 11, 2020 (Part 1)

(Part 1 of 2) The pandemic has been difficult for many businesses, but those involved with home improvement are thriving.

And there's a volunteer effort to save the culture of New Orleans amidst the coronavirus.

And a group of teenagers in Chicago have converted a looted liquor store into something the community needed.

By the a very specical midmorning starts right now.

The pandemic has been difficult for many businesses.

But those involved with home improvement are thriving.

Tom hanson explains.

When the pandemic started the levyn family found themselves at home more.

So they decided to renovate the backyard, including a new deck.

"you want wher you live - if you have the work there and if you have young children you want it to be as lovely as it possible can be."

The levyn's hired a local company... m-g construction and decks.

"business has bee crazy its really good, we are so busy we can't even believe it."

A consumer specialists survey found 57 percent of homeowners made improvements this spring.

And plenty of people are doing it themselves which is driving up sales at hardware stores.

Home depot recently posted its strongest quarterly sales growth in 20 years.

But the demand is leading to a shortage of supplies..

Especially lumber.

/president & ceo, lbm advantage "the do it yoursel market went crazy in april and may and then the construction market picked back up again and we saw record levels of construction across the country right now and that put a real tight squeeze on lumber."

Steve salah is president of lumber buying cooperative: l-b-m advantage.

He says prices for wood have tripled in some places... and lumber mills likely won't ship new orders until october.

08:53 "the suppl chain has limited capacity right now// we're seeing record prices everywhere.

Supply and demand is just at the largest mismatch that i've seen in my 13 years in this business."

Salah says shortages should start to ease this fall but prices likely won't return to normal until early next year.

Tom hanson, cbs news, new york.

An airport may be an an airport may be one of the last places you'd expect to find random acts of kindness -- but cbs's kris van cleave has the story of a frequent flyer -- who is lifting spirits - and putting smiles on faces that are hidden under masks.

"i just want you t have a good day today" holding a handful of homemade happiness& i just want somebody's day to be better catharine knight is hoping to change the world& thank you, i needed this one kind word a time..

My son wrote that one& while traveling for work& have a great day she's handing out cards to strangers at the houston airport.

I really just want to make the world a better place aa: you did today.

Each with a message meant to shine a bit of light into these dark days.

Ck you have to wear a mask so you can't see somebody smile or if they're sad.

// so if you watch somebody's eyes, you can kind of determine maybe that person needs a little pick me up kvc: perhaps now more than ever.

Ck: people need to know that there's still kindness in this world but in the age of covid have a nice....thank you you can't blame heidi botkin for being a little skeptical...until the message sunk in.

I was super stressed out when i get the three kinds by myself.

So, year, that was a nice little pick me up this random act of kindness project started three years ago.

Catharine and her son parker write uplifting messages for people they've never met and may never see again& more than 25,000 so far&including one for pilot michael jones.

It helped, you know, i think everybody's having their own personal struggles right now.

At a time when we have to stay apart&a small reminder&we're all still in this together.

Kris van cleave cbs news washington.

As children return to school as children return to school remotely or in person, there's growing concern about their mental and emotional health.

Last may, a gallup poll found 29 percent of parents surveyed said their child was experiencing harm to their well- being because of social distancing and closures.

Meg oliver reports.

Did you ever feel like you were depressed?

A few times.

11-year-old rocco testa will be a 6th grader in little falls, new jersey, this fall.

Over the last few months, like many kids, the pandemic took a toll on his mental health.

It's just me being angry at the world and everything, because of covid and stuff.

Rocco has a-d-h-d and some learning difficulties, which made virtual school challenging.

As his grades slipped&he began lashing out.

Virtual learning // has been a huge, huge blow to him, his academics and his mental health.

Support and the teachers there to help him has been just detrimental.

Rocco, who has type-1 diabetes, is now dealing with depression and anxiety.

The testa family is not alone.

At the end of the school year, nearly three in 10 parents reported their child's mental health was suffering due to social distancing and closures.

We're seeing increases in anxiety // there have been increases in calls to suicide and mental health hotlines.

Kathleen minke is the executive director at the national association of school psychologists.

She said it's not just the pandemic currently affecting kids' mental health.

There are the problems with racism and violence // and so you really have a piling up of stressors for many, many kids.

Why is it so important to train about children's mental health before you go back?

If the student is not in a good place socially, emotionally, they're not going to be able to learn.

Nikkie wong-shing is a guidance counselor in the school district of philadelphia.

How bad did it get for some of your students in terms of their mental health issues last spring?

What i saw happen a lot is this feeling of isolation // some stress too // there were family members that lost their job // and then some of the kids with things that were happening with the black lives matter movement and george floyd // and that's really hard because we weren't there to kind of help them through that process.

The district launched a program called "healing together.

It focuses on four areas: social emotional learning, mental health and trauma, relationships and community and adult wellness.

The program provides resources, workshops and support for students, staff and families back in new jersey, rocco is starting to feel better.

He's playing football again and he regularly meets with his school psychologist.

Would you have any advice for kids who say they're feeling the same way?

When you feel angry, take a second.

Walk away, breathe.

I know that we are not unique // and people need to know this didn't just affect our economy and all these other things, it affected our kids.

And their minds.

And their minds, and their mental health.

Meg oliver, for cbs this morning, little falls, new jersey.

School psychologists say parents should look for warning signs including changes in their child's behavior, energy levels, difficulty sleeping or eating and disinterest in previously enjoyable activities.

When we come back, helping the people who it's not clear when concerts, parades, and large parties will return&so what happens to the hundreds of people who rely on those events to make a living?

Michael george takes us to new orleans where there's a volunteer effort to save the city's culture.

New orleans is a city of music, art, and culture.

But since covid struck, musician and teacher cherice harrison-nelson - famous in mardi gras circles as "queen reesie" hasn't been able to perform&and she just found out she lost her teaching job.

New orleans' musicians and artists are in cris.

No one knows when they'll be able to work again.

Devin de wulf is part of the mardi gras parade group "krewe of re beans."

Krew members decided they couldn't stand by and watch new orleans' culture disappear.

So they started "feed th second line".

A effort to deliver groceries to older and more vulnerable people in the community.

There's also a second part to the effort - the group is hiring new orleans' musicians and artists to make the deliveries.

So far, "feed th second line" ha raised $100,000 and delivered hundreds of meals.

In new orleans- you show love with food.

And the message is being heard.

"times are goin to be tough, but it's going to be ok."

"these are th people who make our culture, and we're really fortunate to be a position to help out with that."

Making sure when new orleans comes back- it will look and sound the way it always has.

Michael george, cbs news.

If if you want to help support the effort to save new orleans culture, you can find out more at feedthesecondline .org.

A new campaign around indianapolis, indiana is bringing more than a hundred pieces of public art to spots around town that are void of artwor and you can now take a guided tour of all of it right from your phone& our mike sullivan shows you how.

For an artist& it's not always what is popular& it's what they feel& what they know& "actually i grew u in that gray house."

In the riverside neighborhood& "that's me& chrystopher burns.

&i think it's ahhh 5th grade" about the same age as his phalen leadership academy students.

"they say oh mr burns you're famous."

Now that his art is on display on mansfield street& 'the people who own this lot i grew up with them" part of a keep indianapolis beautiful campaign called art and seek.

"its just riversid on the brain, and the memories i had of riverside" one side a collage of his past&.

The other&the present& "the basebal stadium is now a condominium place and everything has changed" yet his art has brought him back.

"they just though it was me and a couple other people" in fact there are 63 artists taking part& more than 100 pieces around town.

"this is th elements of people by michael jordan" ashley haynes is with keep indianapolis beautiful.

"one of the goal of art and seek was to bring public art to neighborhoods where there isn't very much" like an overpass& between 32nd and 31st& "this on represents the african american history along clifton street" you can find it on the app otocast&.

Part of a covid friendly&self guided tour.

"you will be able t get gps directions there's photos of the artists creating their works in progress" some tapping into the times& be it a pandemic&or racial injustice.

"they had th flexibility to adapt and to use their art to respond to what's going on in the world right now" while burns' students& "they all want painting, will you give me a painting please!"

Adapt to his newfound celebrity.

In indianapolis i'm mike sullivan fox59 news.

Th the ag economy has really taken off in recent years.

Families host fall gatherings on their farms. hayrides, pumpkins and corn mazes bring out groups of people.

But this fall, even life on the farm looks different.

á jeff timberlake, owner 08:51:31 - 34 "apples are goin to be really good.

The quality is excellent this year."

Apples are a family business for jeff timberlake.

And for many visitors coming to ricker hill, it's a family tradition... but with the threat of covid-19, there's nothing traditional about 20.

08:55:42-54 jeffáá "this is suppose to be a good fun family experience, and we want people to have that.

So we're going to do what we can do to make people relaxed, and not feel as if they're putting themselves in danger."

This season, you will see more sanitizing stations, extra staff to help disinfect, and no bounce houses.

In peak season, ricker hill sees more than one thousand visitors a day, many crowding the store to order donuts, but now only 15 people will be allowed in at a time.

Dustin stand upáá "one of the bigges differences visitors will notice is in the store.

Instead of ordering donuts inside, place your order online or outside.

The farm is keeping as much of their operation outdoors as possible."

08:53:56 - 07 jeff "we got a vas open space, so people can spread out, you can have your social distancing, you can do the things you need to do to come pick apples and be safe and feel safe about it and enjoy the experience."

Timberlake says while he and the staff will be wearing masks, they will not be 'the mask police', allowing visitors to not wear them if they choose.

His daughter jenny says everything is an experiment, asking that visitors be kind and patient.

Jenny maheu, owneráá 09:16:37-42 "i just hope peopl are understanding this year and are willing to adapt with us, but i think it's going to be a great fall."

09:16:59-04 "i think as long a we stay positive, it's all going to be okay, and we're going to get through it."

Ricker hill orchards is now open for u-pick apples.

In turner, dustin bonk, fox 23 news.

Out of the ashes, some teenagers are building th the cbs series áa more perfect unioná aims to show that what unites us as americans is far greater than what divides us.

The death of george floyd earlier this year set off weeks of protests and unrest in cities across the country.

Chicago was no exception.

Adriana diaz shows us how one group of teenagers there turned their anger into action, and transformed a looted liquor store into something their community need.

.

Nats this summer's unrest in chicago following the killing of george floyd left many young people feeling lost.

I really felt like cornered and confused as to why i couldn't be a part of the change i wanted to see.

To help, 15-year- old friends azariah baker and keith tankson turned to their after-school program "by th hand club for kids" which organized listening circles with mentors like former chicago bears player sam acho.

The conversation revolved a lot around despair.// it was almost like they were being devalued, with not only with seeing black people getting killed, but also seeing the rioting and looting that ensued.

Out of the destruction, they saw an opportunity: build a fresh food market where a looted liquor store used to stand.

This neighborhood is a food desert // it's also twelve liquor stores in a one mile radius // you have to go a mile and a half just to see a fresh food market you would think a grocery store in your community will be like a basic necessity.

But that's not for us.

But the project would cost half a million dollars.

So acho enlisted 14 other athletes to help.

Guys donated anywhere from one thousand to to a hundred thousand dollars.

Yes, yes, yes, yes!

It just was a great feeling.

Oooh oh my god are you crying?

No, i got something in my eye donnita travis, who runs by the hand club, had been trying to close that liquor store for 10 years.

How did you feel when you saw it all come down?

I'm telling you, is one of the best days in my life.

// the kids // they've been through so much over the last five months // they wanted to show everyone that there's positive things happening in this community nat they studied pricing and marketing, ...to be ready for opening day nat/ nat/ does it make you feel like you could do anything?

Really, yes.

The sky's not the limit.

Stars, not the limit.

For twelve weeks the students will work the market after school..

And it pays well!

How does that feel?

Pshhh don't make me act up on camera, man.

// and how important is it to have economic opportunities // jobs in areas where there aren't enough?

It's incredibly powerful // people who had economic status stepped in and they helped us to get this achieved.

Now we're getting people in our community economic status and with that we can do anything.

And the community is thankful.

Can you believe that where we're standing used to be a liquor store?

Oh!

I cannot believe that it's going to turn into something, finally, something beautiful and nice.

A neighborhood in need, nourishing itself.

Adriana diaz, chicago.

Just ahead, a bicycle story, or two.

Mid morning