It’s hard to wrap our heads around the changes we’ve seen in just a week.
While it’s easy to become overwhelmed, I’ve been buoyed by the response of our community to what is easily the biggest challenge we’ve seen in many, many years. I’ve said for years that the best thing about Fredericksburg is the community, and never is that more apparent than in a crisis.
Fredericksburg’s Small Businesses are respecting the call for “social distancing” and “flattening the curve” by providing delivery service and pick-up meals – as long as they can. Some are even providing free meals to children under 18 and offering to deliver meals to elderly or infirmed residents. At some point in the near future, it is very likely that our small businesses will be forced to close completely. Until then, please honor them by buying gift certificates to use when this is all over – and continue to do that online wherever possible. They employ so many of our residents and it will be a true hardship for those employees when they can no longer work. (As you may know, I’ve asked people, as has Kerry Devine, to buy gift certificates and donate to local charities instead of donating to my campaign while our City goes through this crisis.)
The School System has sprung into action. Recognizing that closing schools means no meals for over 60% of our students, they’re deploying mobile units (think “food trucks”) to those who depend on the schools for meals.
Our City government has created a “Volunteer Corps” which gives the City Manager the ability to reassign staff members to work at Micah, the Brisben Center and Hope House when volunteers can’t come in.
Healthcare workers and first responders are doing their heroic best, day after day, to care for their patients and keep fear at bay.
Neighbors are being neighborly – “I’m going out- do you need anything?” and checking in on their elderly neighbors by phone and email and offering to help any way they can.
Parents are sharing tips to keep their children (and teenagers) occupied and educated during this self-isolating period (and thanking Disney for releasing Frozen 2 early!)
People living on the edge (our ALICE population) are understandably concerned about their finances and their future. And those who need to keep on working are concerned about their own health.
We will definitely be tested in the upcoming weeks. This crisis is not like a snowstorm where the sun comes out and melts the snow and life returns to normal. It’s going to be awhile before we know how badly our City will get hit and how long the impact will last. It’s more like a hurricane where, once the storm passes, we assess the damage and work together to rebuild. I have the utmost confidence that we, as a community, have what it takes to get through this crisis together.
I’ll admit it – I miss all the opportunities to meet and talk to residents about their visions and concerns for the City. I wish we could continue to have house parties and knock on doors. Most of the candidates, though, realize that that is irresponsible now and we must show the community that we have their best interests at heart and can pivot to better approaches to campaigning under these circumstances.
There’s one thing that hasn’t changed – the River is always open and walks on our great trails are probably the healthiest thing you can do right now. Just keep your distance from other people, of course.
I am confident that we will experience the Best of Fredericksburg as we navigate these days and weeks and keep our community calm and strong.
