In light of the current COVID-19 pandemic, a fearful and broken world is coming together to support one another through one of the strangest times of most of our lives. Personally, I have never seen the world so united, the outbreak has brought out the kindest side in people. We have become givers, helpers and supporters, striving to make people feel more at ease, comforted and less lonely.
The UK engaged in a ‘clap for carers’ on the 26th of March to show our appreciation for those who are keeping the world going at this time. The salute was emotional as people stood in front of their homes and clapped, cheered, set of fireworks, to show the enormous gratitude the UK feels towards our most valuable services. Hashtags #Clapforcarers and #ThankyouNHS continue to inundate my twitter feed which goes to show how people continue to feel grateful for our incredible health service.
The elderly, arguably the most vulnerable group during this time, are being supported by incredible numbers of people. As someone who works at Waitrose, I am on the front line of an essential organisation that continues to deliver food and other necessary goods to people. The elderly are given an allotted time, generally in the morning, where they are welcome to come and do their shopping without mixing with large groups of younger people which could put them at greater risk of catching the virus. So far, this scheme as been a huge success, it has meant that those who otherwise would have to isolate and not come out to the supermarket at all can do so with little to no worries. A short trip to the shops is sometimes the lift that some lonely elderly people need as they get to interact with staff and talk about anything from their plans for the day, to what they might make for dinner with their purchases.
Working at Waitrose, I have seen the happiness simple acts of kindness can bring to our customers. Recently, we have been offering out free bunches of flowers to customers at the till, just to show that we care about them and are trying our best to ensure they are in good spirits during a challenging time.
UK streets have become a hub of support with many house holds sending out notes to let neighbours know that they are around if anyone needs help. Personally, I received a letter saying if I had to self-isolate, my neighbour would go and do my shopping for me. This was very moving as it just shows how willing people are to help and how selfless the pandemic is making us.
Though thousands of people have sadly died in the UK alone, we will not be broken. Our sense of community is the glue holding our nation together during one of the hardest battles we have faced in years and will be the reason that we will soon beat this pandemic and come out stronger than ever.
