With terms like social distancing and self-isolation floating around, it can feel overwhelming. There's a lot of focus on individual risk and illness. It can feel like it's every person for themselves out there, and that can be pretty lonely.
Luckily, the darkest times bring out the best in some people. The internet has done an excellent job of breaking through the noise and highlighting people who are doing all they can during this uncertain time.
These heartwarming acts of community are an important reminder that we aren't in a hopeless, selfish world after all. People still care about one another and want to do what they can to help, even if it has to be from a distance.
All around the world, we're seeing people take steps to show others they still care. It's a touching reminder that the little things make the biggest difference when the world feels like it's upside down.
Helena Schlam, a 78-year-old woman in Ohio, was self-isolating. Her neighbors, 9-year-old Taran Tien and his 6-year-old sister Calliope, asked if they could do anything to help. Helena insisted she had everything she needed.
The siblings found another way to help. They decided to dress up and take their cellos to their neighbor's porch. They knew Helena loves classical music, so they played everything from a Bach minuet to "Go Tell Aunt Rhody."
"It was so delightful," Helena told the Columbus Dispatch. "It was a little cold, but I just put on an extra coat. The kids are really quite talented, and it was so much fun."
A woman ringing in her 80th birthday in isolation in Spain got a reminder that her neighbors were there. They gave her a slice of cake and sang to her through her window. The simple gesture was overwhelming and brought a little joy to her special day.
This assisted living community being on lockdown couldn't keep one father and son apart. Each day, the son comes and sets up a chair outside his father's window. The two talk over the phone as they sit at the window together.
Two teenagers in the UK found themselves heartbroken when they saw an elderly man struggling at a grocery store. They decided to stock up on supplies and create care packages with essentials. They've gone around their community to offer the packages to vulnerable members.
Bob was looking forward to celebrating his 67th wedding anniversary with his wife, who is in a nursing home. When quarantine made that impossible, he made sure she could still feel the love. He showed up outside her window with a beautiful sign expressing his love for her.
Italians in Turin missed getting together for a social mealtime. They organized a plan with neighbors to have appetizers and drinks out on their balconies. Music and laughter could be heard ringing through the courtyard during the special event.
San Francisco is currently on lockdown, but residents are still channeling their sense of community. Not only are there a number of community groups working on making sure the vulnerable have all the supplies they need, but they're also trying to lift spirits. To increase the sense of community, people in the Neighborhood Empowerment Network are encouraging San Franciscans to light a unity light in a visible area of their homes each night to remind everyone they are not alone.
A couple in Jerusalem may have been one of the first to apply social distancing to a wedding. After deciding not to cancel, they had their wedding outdoors so that their 120 guests could take part in their special day. Although they were together, they were spread out enough to minimize risk while still taking part in the celebration.
Tonka the Great Dane is a certified therapy dog with The Dog Alliance in Cedar Park, Texas. He's helping senior citizens by stopping by windows at a senior center. With each visit, he and his handler find new ways to entertain folks who need a laugh.
Bethenny Frankel's bstrong disaster relief initiative is trying to help get preventative tools out there to the people who need them most. The kits feature sanitation products, hydration products, and more. She's allocated $65,000 with the goal of making 20,000 kits and is accepting donations to make more.
In Arlington, Virginia, the Maywood Community Association is mobilizing to help the community in many ways. Residents are running errands for the vulnerable. Teens are helping parents working from home with child care. People who know different languages are offering translation services for non-English speakers.
In Greenville, South Carolina, three college students are answering what they believe is a call by Allah to serve their community. They are donating food to local food banks and other charities. They are also helping vulnerable members of their community to get supplies.
