Fishers, Indiana. Population: 93,362. A suburban city just northeast of Indianapolis, formerly bustling with life and constant motion has come to a screeching halt.
For residents of Fishers, life no longer feels normal in any way. Local firefighters are now required to wear personal protective equipment for every run reported as well as for simple trips to the grocery store.
Members of the local fire department are also required to take their temperature before each shift as a precaution. The department has also added an extra ambulance to the list of in-service trucks.
Not only has this pandemic changed how frontline workers operate, but it has also taken a huge toll on students. High school seniors have had a significant portion of their senior year taken away from them, and coping with the fact has been no easy feat — especially for athletes.
Head baseball coach of Fishers High School Matthew Cherry has made it a point to check in on his players periodically over the past month and a half and has hosted Zoom sessions to talk with his seniors and make sure they are doing alright.
Fishers is a city that revolves around community, and having to put that community on pause has caused many people to find any way possible to interact with those to whom they are closest.
From Zoom chats to parking lot get-togethers, people are becoming increasingly more inventive as to how to keep the social atmosphere of Fishers alive.
A local church, ITOWN, has increased efforts tenfold to make sure those not working are able to keep food on the table. Creating a COVID-19 rapid response team has been one of its focal points. The church has kept its small groups alive, used live streaming for services on Sundays and is doing what it can to meet the physical needs of the community.
Funneling 100% of all giving directly to outreach has enabled ITOWN to pack food and supplies for local families, as well as giving them the ability to set up checkpoints around the city to distribute these resources.
Here in Fishers, everyone has been affected by the coronavirus. But through it all, there are glimmers of hope. Life still goes on, and the community can’t be stopped.
As a local news anchor, Scott Sawn said at the end of one broadcast, “Hang in there! We’re going to get through this together.”