Heroes2020
Working With our Latinx Heroes By Vivian Lozano, Director of Social Impact
When COVID-19 cases in Hamilton County began to rise, it was terrifying to see that the Latinx community was 60-70% of the positive cases. There were multiple reasons for this increase, but the one that stood out the most was the fact that many in the Latinx community were essential workers. They were the individuals who are considered critical to ensuring that our state and city runs and functions smoothly. They are the workers who are making our food, cleaning our workplaces, working in construction, and harvesting the food that feeds our entire country.
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When I think of the heroes of 2020, I think of the unsung ones. The ones who do not have the uniforms that are usually acknowledged and praised. It takes a lot for a city to run smoothly, for it to be able to function at full capacity. What the COVID pandemic has shown us is that there are important roles that are filled by those who are invisible but are still essential. We have witnessed and benefitted first hand from the hard work of these invisible heroes. Many who didn’t have the luxury or the ability to stay home because their work was, and continues to be, imperative to the wellbeing of our communities.