RISING TO THE CHALLENGE Communities band together to aid, inspire during pandemic BY CHRISTOPHER NAGY
The unknown and unfamiliar can strike resonant notes of fear and panic that expose some of the worst of human character. In the days and weeks immediately following COVID-19 being declared a pandemic, our new reality brought with it elevated levels of shared anxiety and unsettled disquiet that manifested itself in everything from panic buying to an uptick in racist and xenophobic aggressions against people of Asian descent. Although the poor reactions of the few could be disheartening, those tinny responses were swallowed up and drowned out by chorus after chorus of symphonic examples showcasing the best of the human condition. In times of crisis, heroes don’t step aside; they step up. While many were still reeling with health, employment and financial fallout from COVID-19, the stories of basic decency and the championing of the greater good emerged. The Greater Lansing region has not been a 20
stranger to acts both large and small of kindness and caring in the face of calamity. The local undertakings have been as inspirational as they are myriad and storied. However, the gracious altruism and the outpouring of connectiveness serve to reflect and remind of the best in us all.
“This is uncharted territory, and we don’t know how long the pandemic will go on,” said John Foren, spokesperson for Sparrow Health System. “As a result, we’re being very creative about finding resources from our many partners.”
HELPING THOSE IN HEALTH CARE
Foren noted that Sparrow staff was holding up well under trying circumstances, but counseling services were made available to those who needed it. As for the response from the public, Foren said the community has always been in Sparrow’s corner.
The health care community found itself as the face of the pandemic as hospitals and emergency rooms quickly filled with patients suffering from the deadly novel coronavirus. As beds filled with patients needing constant care, medical professionals already under immense stress were dealt with another blow: precious medical supplies were dwindling. As a counterbalance, the Sparrow Foundation set up a Challenge Response Fund where community members donate supplies. Within a five-day period, the foundation collected more than 110,000 items — from masks and gowns to gloves and hand sanitizer.
G R E AT E R L A N S I N G B U S I N E S S M O N T H LY
MAY 2020
“We’re not surprised at the response from the community because they have always stepped up to support Sparrow and the health care needs of mid-Michigan,” he said.
SUPPLYING THE NEED AND NECESSITIES One of the more unique contributions to aid the health care field came from Mason Trailer Rentals.
