Facing pandemic together

Community faces pandemic together despite being apart

Jaiden Herald | Co-Editor-in-Chief

Our community faced its share of hardships in recent years. Yet, despite trial and adversity, our community continues to overcome and show resilience, growth and a sense of community spirit and pride. As the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic reached our community, its members once again stepped up to support one another.

In the beginning stages of the pandemic as local schools closed in a preventative act, social media platforms were filled with acts of kindness, generosity and helpfulness. Community members offered to grocery shop for the older citizens and immunocompromised; high school and college-age students offered to babysit for parents without child care options and members volunteered to tutor and assist kids struggling with eLearning. Furthermore, in the face of jobs and school closing, community members offered to feed those left hungry in the circumstances. Our community worked to support, assist and encourage friends and neighbors as our community struggled to adapt to a new reality.

In addition, as the situation progressed, community members worked to donate or create personal protective equipment for our frontline. Masks, gowns, headbands and face shields were created and donated to our first responders and healthcare facilities so that they may continue to protect themselves. Members saw a need and worked to meet that need as they have always done.

Furthermore, our community continued to uplift, encourage and support each other during these unprecedented times. They have and continue to speak out in support of each other during such trying times. Moreover, local individuals and families joined social media movements to spread cheer such as placing bears in windows for small children to “hunt.” In addition to local families, local businesses joined in to spread happiness for our community’s children. Friends and families decorated driveways and organized car parades to help celebrate birthdays and special days. Our community continues to reach out and find ways to celebrate during these difficult times. Creative minds in this community continue to work to spread lightness in dark.

The aforementioned acts of kindness show an unrealistic look at the kindness of our community members as there is no way to list or know everything that happened. Such acts of kindness, generosity and compassion continue to be a breath of fresh air in such times of uncertainty, confusion, worry and pain. Even in times of despair, our community should be proud. These acts, no matter big or small, worked to inspire hope as our community struggles in the light of the coronavirus pandemic.

As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, our community needs to continue to step up and show out. We need to continue to support and encourage one another during these circumstances. Continue to be the light in the darkness, help those in need and remember that hard times do not last, strong communities do.