What is your definition of hope?
That is the question Adrienne Broaddus has asked at the end of interviews during the COVID-19 pandemic. M
any people across the Twin Cities see hope differently.
The coronavirus canceled or postponed major sporting events. But it didn't delay Jashon Cornell's childhood dream of playing professional football. The Cretin-Derham Hall graduate was selected during the NFL Draft.
"It is has been a struggle these last few months since COVID," he said. "Hope to me is trusting the process. I feel like if you have your faith in God, like I do, he always leads you in the right direction."
Sheletta Brundidge, an autism advocate and Twin Cities podcaster, said the world wants to shut down because of the coronavirus. She said hope is never giving up.
"We just can’t let it stop us. We have to keep going. We got to keep doing the things we love to do. We must find a creative way to do it," Brundidge said said.
"I think hope too is figuring out what it looks like to battle something together," she said. "Here on our street a lot of hope drawing closer to our family as friends. We couldn’t survive without them."
Megan Chao Smith, a nurse who worked on the frontlines of COVID-19, said care lies in hope.
"Hope is finding a bridge and a way to express the caring and support we all want to give," she said.
We saw caring on display in Lakeville back in March. Two teachers at East Lake Elementary School in Lakeville used it to spread joy.
The messages moved Jacob Wintheiser to tears.
"Hope is just believing that everything will be okay. And hopefully it will," Wintheiser said. " Yea, it is kind of overwhelming everything happening in the world."
Indeed, COVID-19 altered our normal routines. It's also changed how we say goodbye to people we love. Tracy Wesley Sr, the funeral director at Estes Funeral Chapel, said hope is getting through this, together.
"Hope looks like some sense of normalcy and families coming together to say their final goodbyes to their loved ones in the ways we have been familiar," Wesley said.
First responders in Crystal are giving the gift of the Birthday Brigade. During the COVID-19 stay-at-home order, Crystal Police, Crystal Public Works and the West Metro Fire Rescue District are stopping in front of participating households, honking a horn or sounding a siren, waving to the residents and the birthday boy or girl and then departing. They believe hope is neighbors serving neighbors.
"If we can bring a little brightness to a kid on their birthday, we are all for it," they said.
The Birthday Brigade stopped at Megan Kimmel’s home. Her son turned one.
She said jhope is believing in something bigger and coming together.
"I think hope, too, is figuring out what it looks like to battle something together. A lot of hope. Here on our street a lot of hope drawing closer to our family as friends. We couldn’t survive without them.
Tierra Encantada is offering free childcare for families of healthcare and essential workers. Their owner, Krisen Denzer said hope is giving families a lifeline.
"Hope to us is looking ahead and providing the children in our care a safe place," Denzer said.
Dana Nelson has learned hope is "moments where we are taking care of each other. Hope is feeling a moment of joy in this crazy dark time."
I believe faith is confidence in what we hope for and the assurance about what we do not see. Once we all get through COVID-19, together, I see us all better.
KARE 11’s coverage of the coronavirus is rooted in Facts, not Fear. Visit kare11.com/coronavirus for comprehensive coverage, find out what you need to know about the Midwest specifically, learn more about the symptoms, and see what companies in Minnesota are hiring. Have a question? Text it to us at 763-797-7215. And get the latest coronavirus updates sent right to your inbox every morning. Subscribe to the KARE 11 Sunrise newsletter here. Help local families in need: www.kare11.com/give11.
The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is also a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.