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Living, People

World of Good: St. Augustine Lends a Helping Hand During the Pandemic

In the midst of crisis, St. Augustinians are rising up to share some joy and reach out a helping hand.

May 29, 2020 | Molly Wilson
k9s for warriors trainees meet animals at marineland

Only two or three weeks into the start of the pandemic here in the US, I decided to purge my life of social media. Every single time I opened up Facebook or Instagram or Twitter, I would be greeted by a deluge of disheartening stories – deaths of loved ones or far-off friends, citizens acting selfishly and putting others in danger, outrage at the way this or that was handled. I was being washed away in a sea of grief and anger. But even though it can seem that way sometimes, those kinds of stories aren’t the only thing out there. Mr. Rogers (of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood fame) once quoted his mother giving comfort in time of fear – “Look for the helpers.” So that’s what we did.

a worker at whetstone chocolates makes goodies for local hospital workers

After production was shut down due to the stay-at-home order, Whetstone Chocolates decided to donate Easter chocolate to local hospital staff, police, and emergency workers in an effort to brighten their spirits. Workers at Flagler Hospital, The Mayo Clinic St. Augustine, City of St. Augustine Police and Fire Department, and the St. Augustine Beach Police Department received chocolate rabbits and eggs and chocolate-dipped peeps.

nurse holding cookies with girl scouts cookies for heroes program

bojangles employees donate meals to hospital workers

The Girl Scouts of Gateway Council had a similar idea and donated (with the help of a number of generous companies and individuals) more than 20,000 boxes of cookies to health heroes throughout Northeast Florida. Our local Girl Scouts made the drop to the staff at Flagler Health+. The St. Augustine Bojangles’ too donated 100 meals to the hospital staff with the help of its drive-thru patrons. A portion of the drive-thru sales was donated, and more than 70 customers added an additional donation for the fund.

Healthcare workers haven’t been the only ones on the hearts of the community, though. After restaurants were shut down and many servers, bartenders, chefs, and dishwashers temporarily lost their paychecks, The Floridian set up a free grocery store for industry workers. With dairy, cheese, eggs, bread, veggies, and pre-prepared meals, restaurant workers could bring in their most recent pay stub and “shop” for free.

k9s for warriors trainees meet animals at marineland

As all non-essential businesses shuttered, Marineland Dolphin Adventure too shut their doors. But that didn’t mean that all that time had to go to waste, so they welcomed the trainers and dogs of K9s for Warriors into the park. The future service dogs got to explore the grounds and meet the dolphins and sea turtles.

There are too many stories to share here – free coffee and meals at local shops and restaurants, people reaching out their hands to the elderly and infirm, programs to support those most impacted. Amidst the din of frightening and frustrating news, there are brilliant glimmers of the good of humanity. The owners of the Floridian encompassed the attitude felt by so many, “Anything we can do to alleviate the blow in some small way, we will – as long as the lights are on and the fires are burning.”

Meet The Author
Molly Wilson
Molly Wilson is the Managing Editor at St. Augustine Social. She is a Tallahassee, Florida native who came to St. Augustine in 2014 to attend Flagler College for her undergraduate. She has degrees in English Literature and Philosophy/Religion and is working on her master's degree in Liberal Arts. When not working or studying, she spends her very limited free time baking, reading, and exploring St. Augustine with her dog Reg.


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St. Augustine Social is THE city magazine for St. Augustine, FL. Our mission is to discover interesting stories and interpret St. Augustine's unique culture in a way that uplifts, educates and enlightens invested St. Augustinians. We live to create breathtaking imagery and engage in a warm, playful dialogue that promotes our town and the talent, commerce, food flavors, and top tastemakers that live here.

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