As we grapple with challenges, fears and frustrations sourced to COVID-19, it is easy to overlook the tireless efforts and countless acts of selflessness that are keeping our community off the mat. Despite obstacles and uncertainty, so many have stepped up during this unsettling time. I believe we owe them a debt of gratitude.
To the health care workers who put their lives on the line even when PPE was scarce; to caregivers in nursing homes, assisted living facilities and hospices who care for the most vulnerable where the virus is most prevalent; and to the first responders who never missed a 911 call, thank you.
To the displaced workers who took whatever job they could find to keep their families going; to the tenants who paid rent and the homeowners who paid the mortgage, not because they had to, but because it was the right thing to do; to the parents who now double as teachers; and to the teachers who were unexpectedly thrust into virtual classrooms yet still found a way to learn an entirely new skill and teach their students at the same time, thank you.
To the businesses that paid employees even as revenues tumbled; to the entrepreneurs who have kept their companies going at great personal financial sacrifice; to companies that expanded internet access to school children at a financial loss; and to the dedicated people serving on the COVID-19 Task Force that helped find computers for students and PPE for health care workers, thank you.
To those who feed people without food and shelter people without a home; to the scientists working tirelessly toward a vaccine; to the construction workers who kept projects moving forward when there was every reason to quit; and to the truckers, warehouse workers, retailers and delivery drivers who kept our economy moving while most of us sheltered at home, thank you.
To those who chose not to hoard but to share; to the companies that put people over profits; and to those who delayed weddings, funerals, birthdays and graduations simply to keep others safe, thank you.
Getting to the other side of this crisis is going to test our capacity for patience and perseverance. During uncertain and stressful times like these, there is never a shortage of those consumed with the can’t and the won’t. Thankfully, there are those focused on the can and the will in the name of shared sacrifice for the common good. These are the people that have carried us to this point, and they are the ones who will help carry us to the end. I, for one, am grateful.