Today's photo caption: In addition to the healthcare front-liners, TST wants to recognize the many unsung heroes working in anonymity behind them.   
[Photo Credit: Andrew Rush on Twitter]

In A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens offered a pretty spot-on description of the world today: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

While we could all sit around and despair over what coronavirus has done to our lives, that’s not the American way. When faced with adversity, history has shown that Americans always muster the strength and courage to face our enemies and defeat them. Each of us has the ability to step up and be a hero right now - even if just by doing the next right thing (as suggested in the movie Frozen).

Like so many others, we here at TST are in awe of, and incredibly grateful for, the healthcare heroes who have already surfaced on the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic. No words can express our appreciation for their willingness to go to work every day knowing the growing challenges and risks they will face.

But they aren’t the only ones who hold our esteem. There are others around the world who haven’t been so widely recognized for their heroic behavior and selfless deeds during these challenging times. While I can't name them all, I want to devote this week's post to offering our sincere thanks to some of them for casting their bright lights across the darkness around us.

To the employees of Food Banks & Soup Kitchens:
Ten percent of American workers have lost their jobs in the last three weeks. Unfortunately, many of them relied on their weekly paycheck to put food on their tables. Coinciding with the loss of income, the traffic at local community food banks across the country has surged. The picture featured on this blog shows a line of cars miles long awaiting the opening of the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank on March 30th. Were it not for the people working in these food banks – and the people who are still donating food items to them instead of hoarding for themselves – thousands would go hungry. So we THANK YOU for everything you do.

To Grocery Store and Pharmacy Workers:
Your tireless efforts to keep the shelves stocked for us is admirable. We know that you aren’t paid nearly enough for spending your days in a work environment that makes social distancing nearly impossible. So THANK YOU for everything you do.

To the American Farmers and Farmworkers:
Despite some people’s best efforts to hoard all the food for themselves, the citizens of our country continue to eat because of your steadfast work ethic and daily sacrifices. THANK YOU for everything you do.

To the Shipping Companies, Delivery Drivers, and Postal Carriers:
Isolation would not be possible for many if we couldn’t have products shipped to our homes. You risk your health every day by handling the packages and letters that have been touched by countless people across the country and around the world. For those who have always weathered the rain, sleet, and snow to ensure we receive our home deliveries, THANK YOU for everything you do.

To the minimum wage Restaurant Workers and Food Delivery Drivers:
We know how many of you have lost jobs recently, and our hearts and prayers are with you. But we also know how many of you are still working hard to provide food to those in your local communities – both for pickup and delivery. For your ongoing efforts to help people get nourishment when they just don’t want to cook for themselves – or have nothing to  cook – THANK YOU for everything you do.

To the Breweries, Wineries, and Distilleries around the country now making hand sanitizer for their communities:
In mid-March we heard about a small company called Cedar Ridge Distillery in Iowa who started making hand-sanitizer and distributing it for free to health care workers and the general public in their community. Since then, we’ve seen countless other distilleries, wineries and breweries join the effort to produce this much needed solution. From large breweries like Anheuser-Busch to many wineries in Napa Valley, down to the smallest micro-breweries and private distilleries across the nation, heroes have popped up in nearly every community. For your efforts to help everyone in your local communities prevent the spread of Covid-19, THANK YOU for everything you do.

To the Parents who have been temporarily or permanently displaced from their jobs and taken the role of Home-School Teacher:
It’s extremely difficult to go from seeing your children for a few hours each day to spending every minute of every day with them. (A sentiment I’m sure many children share about their parents.) But so many parents have stepped into their new role with dignity and dedication, ensuring that their children continue to learn and grow despite being cooped up in their homes all day. Many of these parents have also shared with the world some of the funniest home-schooling updates on social media (like how the teacher got caught drinking on the job the other day) – posts that have lifted our hearts and put smiles on our faces. For your commitment to helping your family endure and evolve through these times, we THANK YOU for everything you do.

To Tech Service Today’s field Technicians:
Last and certainly not least, I want to pay tribute to the thousands of IT technicians who continue to take care of our customers throughout North America - despite the new challenges and risks they face. In addition to servicing the equipment and networks at front-line healthcare institutions around the country, they are also still helping groceries, pharmacies, senior living facilities, and other essential businesses remain technologically operational – while adhering to the new workplace hygiene guidelines and procedures defined by the CDC and others. In response to customer requests, TST even has our technicians helping some companies set up office equipment (computers, phones, printers, etc.) in their employees’ homes so they may continue to be productive workers despite being out of their offices. While many may not recognize the sacrifices you make every day to keep the IT systems of essential and non-essential businesses operational, your TST family does….and we THANK YOU for everything you do.

To everyone else who is wondering what they can do that’s heroic:
Lead by example. Do something in your community to inspire and uplift others. Maybe start an adopt-a-grandparent program in your neighborhood to ensure that someone is regularly checking on elderly residents (via telephone). Even better, if you find that you must go to the store for something, call your elderly neighbors and ask them if you can pick up groceries for them.

While none of us had any say in how or when Covid-19 changed our lives, we do have a say in how we behave through the days ahead, and who we will become once it's over. My advice...Choose to be a hero.