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9 Stories of Hope and Community Amid the Outbreak [Video]

Published

5 years ago

March 20, 2020

All around the world, people have shown that there’s plenty of love to go around amid the outbreak.
Any act of kindness can brighten someone’s day.
Community efforts like these show us that there is always hope.

With the coronavirus outbreak dominating the news, it’s easy to feel anxious. So brightening someone’s day goes a long way.

All around the world, people have shown that there’s plenty of love to go around.

Here are nine such heartwarming stories:

1. Social distancing doesn’t mean a loss of communication

A rabbi recently shared this powerful message on how we can stay safe while caring for others:

“Every hand that we don’t shake must become a phone call that we place. Every embrace that we avoid must become a verbal expression of warmth and concern. Every inch and every foot that we physically place between ourselves and another, must become a thought as to how we might be of help to that other, should the need arise.
Let’s stay safe. And let’s draw one another closer in a way that we’ve never done before.”

2. Simple sacrifices seen as an “amazing act of social solidarity”

I imagine all the closures and cancellations give people a sense of ominousness. But it's really an amazing act of social solidarity: We're sacrificing so we can give nurses, doctors and hospitals a fighting chance. Start from there and hopefully we can figure out the rest.— Matt Pearce ???? (@mattdpearce) March 12, 2020

3. Helping our neighbors

Be open to opportunities to help people in need, just like this one:

I went to the grocery store this afternoon. As I was walking in I heard a woman yell to me from her car. I walked over and found an elderly woman and her husband. She cracked her window open a bit more, and explained to me nearly in tears that they are afraid to go in the store.— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

would be willing to buy her groceries.
I bought the groceries and placed them in her trunk, and gave her back the change. She told me she had been sitting in the car for nearly 45 min before I had arrived, waiting to ask the right person for help.— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

I know it’s a time of hysteria and nerves, but offer to help anyone you can. Not everyone has people to turn to.— Rebecca Mehra (@rebecca_mehra) March 12, 2020

4. Be kind. “Good vibes” go a long way.

With travel plans changing (like everyone), had to extend our rental apartment for a night. Called the owner, who said no problem. I asked how we should pay for the extra night: cash or credit card?

His answer: "Just send good vibes. The world needs those right now"— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) March 12, 2020

5. Any act of kindness can brighten someone’s day

The sweet kids at St. Anthony’s School in Columbus, Nebraska, lifted the spirits of patients in quarantine when they sent cards showing their support.

One patient said, “It was a real bright spot in my day. They were just so darling and heartfelt.”

*Photo Credit: Nebraska Medicine/Facebook*

6. Community efforts support those in need.

View this post on Instagram

If you know of any elderly or vulnerable people in Doolin who may be unable or reluctant to venture out to supermarket or a restaurant please let them know that we'd be happy to call around to them with a dinner from Hotel Doolin #Doolin
A post shared by Hotel Doolin (@hotel.doolin) on Mar 12, 2020 at 10:58am PDT

7. Everyone can help

8. Giving back

Several large companies will continue to pay their employees and some celebrities have also donated. But you don’t have to be a millionaire or a celebrity to donate — any donation will help!