Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

As we look around in Suffolk and review our coverage from the past couple of weeks, we are reminded afresh of the community spirit, resourcefulness, ingenuity, creativity and generosity of everybody here in Suffolk.

Even in a time of uncertainty and perhaps fear, thousands across Suffolk have sprang into action the last couple of weeks to help provide necessities, comfort, social connection and smiles to their neighbors, even as they keep their physical distance.

We have been amazed at all of the great things Suffolkians are doing to help others during this crisis. In case you missed some of them or just need to be reminded of the good things in life, here is just a small sampling of the good news we’ve reported the last two weeks:

• Volunteers with the Suffolk Humane Society held a drive-through pet pantry for pet owners to get needed supplies, like food.
• A partnership between Healthy Suffolk, Johnson’s Gardens and the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth provided “Gardens to Go” for gardeners young and old. About 40 of them were offered for free to those who qualified, and folks got curbside service at Johnson’s Gardens.
• A group of local businessmen — LeOtis Williams, Mike Duman, Boo McGee and Tyrone Burke — teamed up to provide food and necessities on Saturday.
• Teachers from several schools, including Kilby Shores, Florence Bowser and Creekside elementary schools, lined up in their cars and drove through neighborhoods to encourage their students.
• Suffolk Public Library is holding all kinds of virtual lessons and storytime. Suffolk Parks & Recreation is also holding virtual workout sessions people can join from home.
• The Salvation Army teamed up to deliver Holland’s meals to people and also is continuing many of its regular services to the community.
• Faith Temple Ministries Apostolic handed out care packages in its parking lot instead of having Sunday service. (They’re doing it again this Sunday starting at 9 a.m.)
• Suffolk Sheriff’s Office Deputy Veronica Woodson and a group of her friends and family handed out meals to young people every weekday at rotating locations.
• Teachers and students are adjusting to virtual learning quite admirably — almost as if they had more than a weekend to plan for it.
• Virtually every local restaurant is continuing to offer some form of service like takeout, curbside, delivery and more, and many say they are surviving with the support of the community.
• River Stone Chophouse has handed out thousands of meals at its North Suffolk location.

And there’s lots more. As you can see, while there is a lot to be concerned about regarding the coronavirus pandemic, there is always someone helping and doing something positive in Suffolk. While we are dedicated to reporting the facts about the virus and the ongoing response to it, as a community newspaper, we are just as dedicated to reporting all of the great things, too.