In recent weeks, as the coronavirus has ripped through communities across the country, killing thousands, sickening even more and decimating the economy, some timely words of wisdom from a childhood icon, Mr. Rogers, have been making the rounds on social media.
The message is based on advice his mother once gave him for coping in moments of crisis, encouraging him in such times to look for the “helpers.” Finding them, she told him, would give him hope.
In Summit County, where the economic effects of the coronavirus have been unprecedented even as the public health outlook has improved, the helpers have been easy to find.
The helpers have come in the form of Parkites donating more than $1 million to the Park City Community Foundation and other nonprofits providing relief to those suffering, and in the nonprofits themselves, which are again demonstrating why they hold a special place in our community.
They’ve come in the form of residents sewing masks to donate to hospitals and first responders, doing their part to address a frightening shortage of personal protective equipment, and in the teachers who have not let physical distance be a barrier to connecting with their students.
They’ve come in the form of religious leaders reassuring their congregations even as their houses of worship have stood empty, and in the thousands of residents who’ve spent recent weeks following a simple maxim: look after your neighbor.
And that’s to say nothing of the remarkable contributions from health care workers risking their lives to treat patients and the other essential employees who venture out of the safety of their homes to stock store shelves, deliver packages and keep neighborhoods safe.
Given our community’s heritage, the emergence of so many people ready to pitch in has not been surprising. This is not the first challenge Parkites have encountered. Nonetheless, it has been inspiring to watch and will serve as a bright spot when we look back, years from now, and reflect on the turmoil that has marked this spring.
More assistance, of course, will be needed as the community navigates the next steps of this crisis. One thing we know: The helpers will be there, continuing to find ways to make a difference and giving the rest of us plenty of reason for hope.