Don't Forget To Help Others During COVID-19!

During this strange and nerve-wracking time, it’s easy to forget about others without meaning to. We find ourselves thinking, “How will I pay my bills?”, “How will I feed my family when the stores have empty shelves?”, and “What if I get sick with COVID-19?”. And of course, the question on everyone’s mind: “What if I run out of toilet paper?” If you’re not careful, your every thought will start with “I”, or will be about “me” or “my”. And it’s understandable, especially if you’ve got a family. You’re right to be concerned for your family’s well-being.

Sometimes, however, we need to take a break from taking care of “me” and see if we can help others. It usually cheers up everyone involved- the one offering help, and the one on the receiving end. You can start small. For example, take a walk in your neighborhood and greet anyone who is outside and see if they’re doing okay. What if you don’t know them? No problem. All you need to do is remember two questions to break the ice. First, say something like, “Hey, how’s it going?”. After they say, “Fine”, follow that up with, “Do you have enough toilet paper?” I guarantee you’ll get a smile and a chuckle. If not, then maybe you could give them a few rolls. Some people take helping others a step further. Jeb Brown and the Kiwanis Club of Greater Riverton area have distributed over $100,000 worth of food to those who need it. They use a “blessing box” at the high school as a drop-off/pick-up location for the food. Brown sometimes will even make deliveries. For all the details, read Scott Reeder’s article in the May 4th edition of the State Journal-Register. If you would like to support the Kiwanis club in this effort, you can send a check to Riverton Party Store c/o Jeb Brown, 713 North 7th Street, Riverton, IL, 62561. Make the check out to GRA Kiwanis. Another way to help others in our community is to shop local. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be to be a small business owner right now. Our local stores and shops need our business now more than ever. Amazon sure is convenient, but by ordering from it, you’re sending your money and tax dollars to another city for sure, and maybe another state. (Amazon does have some warehouses in Illinois, but none in the Springfield area.) When my bicycle mirror broke earlier this week, I had to resist the temptation to buy from Amazon. A quick search of its website shows me 324 different types of mirrors to choose from. Sounds great! But why not support one of our fine local bike shops instead? I’ll be checking this week to see if one of them is open and has a mirror in stock. Many local stores are set up to take your order over the phone and will bring it to your car or will ship it to you so you don’t even have to set foot in the store. Restaurants are also operating the same way. Even those that don’t traditionally have “to go” options will bring your food to you in your car. Also, a lot of restaurants are making delivery an option by partnering with businesses like Door Dash. Be sure to give the delivery person a nice tip! So buy local, give local, and help local. This COVID-19 situation isn’t fun for anyone, but by helping each other, we’ll make it.