By Rita L. Sherwood
What a different time we have all lived in the past few weeks! Schools, restaurants, gyms, movie theaters, hair and nail salons, and others (too many to name), and even our beautiful beaches were temporarily closed. What was our reality in the beginning of March is no longer, and as we take the time to reflect upon our past few weeks, many heroes big and small emerge.
At Bay Life, we have read and appreciate all of your comments and nominations for local heroes during this unprecedented crisis. Some might stand out and come to mind more quickly, while others are “unsung” heroes, the everyday kind, and might even go unnoticed by some.
The most obvious heroes are the brave men and women from our healthcare system. They’re on the front line of this pandemic countless hours every day for not only days, but also weeks on end, tirelessly caring for those affected by the virus. How can we ever express our gratitude for these special people? They’re all a gift from Heaven, that’s for sure. Hannah Gord, a COVID-19 nurse at Sacred Heart hospital says, “Our hospital has prepared us so well for this. We feel safe and have plenty of personal protection equipment (PPE). It’s sometimes hard, because you don’t know what you’re going to walk into each day. But the support that our community has shown by donating lunches and dinners every day, not only for our ER, but the entire hospital, has really helped keep our spirits up. We live in such a great community!”
Local Nonprofit, Food For Thought, continues to fight food insecurity for families affected by COVID-19. Founder and Executive Director, Tiffanie Nelson says, “We’re seeing families that have never required our services before. Food insecurity can often result in one missed paycheck.” Food For Thought operates year-round, providing their services to children and families. Because of COVID-19, they have had to shift to larger, more involved summer-style services three months earlier than anticipated. This shift in programming means that 60,000 additional food items are needed per month and $120,000 in donation losses must be replaced. It’s only $30 per month to sponsor a family, which provides one full week of food. You can sponsor a family by texting FFTSUMMER TO 44321, or by donating online at fftfl.org. You or your business can also sponsor a pickup location for $1500 per month. Locations to serve locals in need are in Freeport, Santa Rosa Beach, Defuniak Springs, Mary Esther and Destin. Families receive curbside bags of food ranging from 30-50 full size food items to make family meals, and each location hosts two pickups per month which serves 500-600 families. If you or someone you know is in need of support from Food For Thought, text@FFTST to 81010 to use the Remind App, email support@fftfl.org, or call 850.714.1960.
Our local schools are stepping up to the “plate” also. Both of our school systems in Okaloosa and Walton counties have continuously been providing food to their students and families, as many of the children get most of their meals from school, as their parents can’t afford to feed them. Walton County School District’s Superintendent A. Russell Hughes says, “We have fed more than 23,604 students throughout Walton County, through our many distribution sites as well as from our bus drivers. I have real heroes preparing food and packages, I have real heroes driving busses and disseminating food. We have provided more than 105,000 meals to our community members, our students and families. I’m proud of everyone for this massive undertaking that was done flawlessly.” He also says thank you to the many volunteers, parents, employees and to everyone in the community who come together to make this possible.
Northwest Florida’s own Costa Enterprises, which owns 24 McDonald’s restaurants, has gotten into the swing of things also. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they served 9,056 free combo meals to medical workers as part of their “Free Meals for Heroes” initiative—a “thank you” to all of the brave men and women who have been dedicating their time and putting themselves at risk to work in the medical profession. Hospice nurses, pharmacists, nursing home employees, and various other healthcare workers were able to get one free combo meal of their choice every day for a period of two weeks, spanning McDonald’s locations including Bluewater Bay, Niceville and Defuniak Springs. To learn more, visit costamed.com, follow Costa Enterprises on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
And what about the extra-curricular activities for our children that were cancelled? One local dance instructor, Shaye Smith, also a full-time Marketing Manager, has hopped on the virtual train by teaching her students online dance classes from her home every week. Shaye says, “When Verve Dance Company first took our dance program online, I was worried that students wouldn’t connect, show up or try. But just the opposite has happened. Class numbers have stayed consistent and students are working harder than ever. They’re learning and growing and seizing opportunities they might not have had if classes weren’t virtual.” Shaye laments that she can’t wait to hug her kids and give them high fives when classes resume in person. But for now, she will keep challenging them online. I’m sure as parents we can agree Shaye is a hero!
Even moms are getting into the act. Just when you thought being mom is the hardest but most rewarding job, now we’re educators as well by teaching and helping our children online through virtual home schooling. If you’ve never had an appreciation for our teachers before, I’m sure you do now! Adrienne Brackett, owner of Pure & Couture Hair Salon, says it’s definitely a challenge teaching her advanced 12-year-old middle schooler and her 7-year-old on a daily basis. She says, “I really appreciate our teachers and all they do. I’m impressed by how the schools got the online platform up and running so quickly, and how students retrieve and turn in their assignments. I’m amazed at the pure scope of what my son is learning in advanced math and how challenging it is. Middle School teachers have created more of a high school type course.” Adrienne says it’s been interesting to still have projects going on at the salon, whether it’s been cleaning or organizing, while still conducting online school with her two children.
There’s too little time, and too many local heroes to mention in this space. So, come back for next month’s Bay Life and the many more local heroes who make our communities here north of the Bay the absolute BEST!!
Bay Life’s “Hometown Heroes” are sponsored by Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Emerald Coast. To find out if you qualify for cash back rewards, call 850.837.8880 or visit www.BeALocalDestin.com.
