Community Corner

Good News: Americans Helping Others Are Stars During Coronavirus

Americans sing the songs of life as they find creative ways to celebrate birthdays and help each other, especially health care workers.

Beth Dalbey's profile picture
Beth Dalbey, Patch StaffVerified Patch Staff Badge
|
Across America, still largely shut down to slow the spread of coronavirus, people of all ages are helping each other out. Only 7, Zohaib Begg contacted local hotels and found items sorely needed by frontline health care workers.
Across America, still largely shut down to slow the spread of coronavirus, people of all ages are helping each other out. Only 7, Zohaib Begg contacted local hotels and found items sorely needed by frontline health care workers. (Photo courtesy of Isma Zubair)

Americans are figuring out creative ways to make their lives as normal as possible during the national hunkering down to slow the spread of the new coronavirus.

Social distancing is hard on everyone but if you’re a little kid — or even a big kid — looking forward to your birthday party, this can stink, really stink.

But who knows? The people featured in these seven stories may never forget their 2020 birthdays after their teachers, friends, family and even local police pulled out all the stops to make them special.

Find out what's happening in Dallas-Hiramwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


(Photo courtesy of Gillian Vivatson)

(For the latest on the coronavirus and other news in your community from Ptch, sign up for our real-time news alerts and newsletters.)

We saw a lot of that last week — people leaning in to help their friends and neighbors as they hunker down. A playwright might script a week in the Times of Coronavirus something like this:

Find out what's happening in Dallas-Hiramwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Act I: All Hail Medical Workers

He’s 7. He Did This For Hospitals.

The serious threat of the virus to frontline health care workers isn’t lost on 7-year-old Zohaib Begg (top photo), who called on local hospitals looking for shower caps that could be donated to hospitals. He hit the motherlode, and it wasn’t just shower caps. Read Mark Hand’s story on Ashburn Patch.

RELATED

Howling For Health Care Workers

You could say all those people highlighted in the stories above were howling for health care workers. These people actually were. Listen to them tune up and read Kristina Houck’s story on Mill Valley Patch.

Act II: The Uplift

Heroes Everywhere In Hard-Hit City

As is so often the case in times of crisis, the stories of everyday folks doing extraordinary things to help their communities aren't rare — even in a city as hard hit as New York City has been. Read Kathleen Culliton’s story on New York City Patch.

(Kathleen Culliton/Patch)

Pretend You Infected Your Grandmother

Diana Berrent, who’s recovering from COVID-19, wants to help her neighbors understand how serious it is. "In order to contain it, every single person has a responsibility to act as if they are already infected. And every single person they infect is either their best friend or their grandmother," she said. Read Nikki Gaskins’ story on Port Washington Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Diana Berrent)

Restaurants, Churches Feed The Hungry

Maryland restaurateur and chef Monica Alvarado loves feeding people. The Rev. Ryan Sirmons loves feeding their souls. Magic happened when they connected over a common need in their community. Read Kristin Danley-Greiner’s story on Annapolis Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Bethany Swain)

Community Groups Embrace Homeless

The Illinois stay-at-home order doesn’t apply to people who don’t have homes. Still, community groups are hunting down every bed they can at hotels, churches and even a house offered by an alderman. Read Jonah Meadows’ story on Evanston Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Connections for the Homeless)

Tip Early And Often

Servers, bartenders and others in the hospitality industry are emptying out their tip jars to make ends meet. But what if they didn’t have to? Read Payton Potter’s story on Washington, D.C., Patch.

Restaurateur Helps Helpers

The nationwide shutdown hit restaurants and other small businesses hard. Laying off employees was heart wrenching, Douglas Nicholson said, and he did what he could to cushion the blow. Read Scott Anderson’s story on Mount Pleasant Patch.

‘Explosion Of Cards’ Make Soft Landing

Restrictions on nursing home visitors can make for lonely days for residents. But a nationwide appeal brought an “explosion of cards” to the mailbox of Kathleen Berenzy, who felt a little less isolated after receiving them. Read Lisa Finn’s story on Riverhead Patch.

It’s Not All Rainbows And Unicorns, But …

The coronavirus crisis is so serious that some people find little to smile about and much to worry about. Some people in New York got together to change that. Read Nikki Gaskins’ story on Wantagh-Seaford Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Katherine Schilling)

RELATED

Who Knew This Would Be So Appreciated?

Talk about uplifting: A Pittsburgh eatery is giving away toilet paper, the hottest commodity of the coronavirus pandemic, with takeout orders. Read Eric Heyl’s story on Pittsburgh Patch.

Intermission: America Breaks Into Song

‘Imagine’ In Time Of Coronavirus

This intermission is brought to you by Karl Knutson and his 18-year-old daughter Mia, two talented singers from Illinois who brought their voices together in a studio quality video. Listen to them and read Lisa Marie Farver’s story on Lisle Patch.

‘All By Myself’

Aren’t we all to one degree or another? An elementary principal in New Jersey sang “All By Myself” as he took students on a musical tour of some of the things they’ve been missing. Read Russ Crespolini’s story on Randolph Patch.

‘Losing My Religion’

The dean of the School of Arts at New York University probably thought it was a good idea when she did a lip sync version of R.E.M.’s “Losing My Religion” in response to students' request for a partial tuition refund because they’re finishing the semester online. Was it? Read Anna Quinn’s story on New York City Patch.

Guest Star: Patrick Stewart With A Sonnet

Shall we compare Patrick Stewart to a summer's day? The Shakespearean, Star Trek captain and Park Sloper proffers a season more lovely and temperate than that wrought by the new coronavirus. Read Matt Troutman’s story On Park Slope Patch.

Concert Comes Together From Afar

When they couldn’t sing together, some Pennsylvania high school students took their concert to the internet, each singing their parts from their homes. Listen to the students and read Kara Seymour’s story on Newtown Patch.

Group Sing: ‘You Are My Sunshine’

Let’s all clear our throats and sing along with these Illinois senior citizens. Read Lisa Marie Farver’s story and listen to them sing on Downers Grove Patch.

Act III: Back To School

Cartoonist Draws In Kids

Freelance cartoonist Josh Kramer isn’t considered an essential worker. But he’s proving himself indispensable to the kids he’s helping draw trucks, dinosaurs and Pokémon in Facebook Live tutorials. Read Michael O’Connell’s story on Washington, D.C., Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Allie Bailey)

Yes, We Have No Bananas

Actually, bananas can still be had (we think; we didn't think we'd have trouble finding toilet paper, either). And they're valuable teaching aids for some kids in Connecticut. Read Chris Dehnel’s story on Vernon Patch.

(Chris Dehnel/Patch)

No Pomp In This Circumstance

The new coronavirus interrupted their educations and plans, but a few Drew University students held a mock commencement. Read Russ Crespolini’s story on Madison Patch.

Act IV: Look, Puppies!

Every Shelter Dog Finds A Home

People aren’t just helping other people. Every single dog — every single one of them — found a home after a shelter in New York put out an urgent call. Read Lisa Finn’s story on North Fork Patch

(Photo courtesy of Gabrielle Stroup / North Fork Animal Welfare League)

Here’s A Kindle Of Kittens For You

Is your heart melting? These 6-week-old kittens found abandoned in Tampa are up for adoption. Just sayin’. Read D’Ann Lawrence White’s story on South Tampa Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Tampa Police Department)

We All Want To Be These Dogs

People need to stand 6 feet away from each other under social distancing guidelines. Cats and dogs can get up in each other’s faces — in a good way — and make us all jealous because we wish we could. See the collection of pictures Lisa Marie Farver put together on Downers Grove Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Liesa Frush)

Puppies Get In Free At Aquarium

The puppies had to love this. The Georgia Aquarium is temporarily closed to the public so the lucky doggies got to see all the fish and sea creatures without having to fight a crowd. Watch the video and read Andrea V. Watson’s story on Atlanta Patch.

RELATED

Finale: Love Triumphs

Stop This Wedding? Never.

It wasn’t the dream wedding Robyn Macy and Andrew Berkovits planned but they weren’t about to let the coronavirus stop their wedding. Read Maya Kaufman’s story on Astoria-Long Island City Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Robyn Macy)

Digital ‘I Do’

Gina Frangello and Rob Roberge planned to get married in California. When they couldn’t, they used the Zoom app and their guests watched remotely as they exchanged their vows. Read Lisa Marie Farver’s story on Chicago Patch.

(Photo courtesy of Kenza Walthour)

Do you have an uplifting story to share from your community? Add it to the comments, write about it in a Neighbor Post, email your local editor or reach out to beth.dallbey@patch.com and we’ll get your story in the right editor’s hands

Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

More from Dallas-Hiram