9 Uplifting Stories of Community Support To Inspire You

These days, you might think negative news is the only news—more businesses closing, more employees being let go. While these are trying times, our resilient community of over 4.5 million small business owners knows that’s not the only story. So we asked you for your most uplifting ones. 

And, as always, you blew us away. In the stories that follow, you’ll see an emerging narrative of the strength of community, how a little help can make a big difference, and the true power of connection. 

But this is just the beginning. Share your story of community resilience in the comments. After all, this is a place for business owners just like you to find support, share ideas, and persevere together. 

9 Small Business Owners Share Their Most Uplifting Community Stories

Below are nine stories from communities across North America sharing how they’re getting through the crisis with empathy, ingenuity ...and a pig named Kevin Bacon.

1. Sharing essentials for those in need

I was so touched by the fact that they took the time to help me out.

In Las Vegas, NV, like most cities in North America, there are restrictions on how many necessary items you can purchase at once (we’re looking at you, toilet paper). 

Unfortunately, that meant that Carrie Ziedman was facing a problem: She was shopping for herself and her 94-year old mother-in-law who resides in assisted living. In short, she needed more essentials than the store would allow. 

“When I got to the counter, the clerk told me there was a limit of one per customer on several items,” Carrie says. “I explained that I was buying for myself and for my mother-in-law who couldn't leave the assisted living to shop for herself. The clerk said she was sorry, but that it was store policy.”

That’s when the community stepped in. “The lady behind me in line said she would give me her limit. Then the lady behind her said the same thing,” Carrie says. "I was so touched by the fact that they took the time to help me out."

That simple kind act made a big difference for Carrie and her at-risk mother-in-law and serves as a great reminder of the power of small community gestures.

2. Helping seniors get groceries

I was so moved by the kindness of strangers.

Myra Evans, a visual artist in Toronto, ON, and her husband were quarantined in a cruise ship that never got to its destination. After they got back, they were looking for grocery options without needing to go to a store. Because of their age, they’re at a higher risk.

So they reached out to some of their neighbors. “I posted a message asking people to recommend grocery websites or food delivery services we could use,” Myra says. 

Of course, her community came through—and then some. “I had over 50 replies to my inquiry, and many people who offered to pick up groceries for us,” she explains. “I was so moved by the kindness of strangers.”

What’s more? One of the women who was offering to help them was a nurse on the frontlines. “One would think she does enough for people at work and here she is offering her help to me,” Myra says. 

Myra summed it up like this: “Now that’s a positive story.” We couldn’t agree more.

3. Supporting small businesses one funnel cake at a time

Many small businesses are closed right now, and Braud’s Funnel Cake Cafe in Las Vegas, NV was no exception. 

“We have a concession trailer with no work being that all the festivals canceled,” Dennette Braud, who owns the cafe, says. However, she had an idea. What if she could park her trailer in her friend’s restaurant parking lot and sell funnel cakes there?

She could—and she did. And other businesses in her community rallied around her to support her. “[A local bank] found out we were there and sponsored funnel cakes for the first 20 people,” she says. Then, the owner of a local hair studio sponsored 10 more and the owner of an electrical store, another 10.

In addition to the support of other businesses, the community members receiving free funnel cakes helped too. “Half of the people opted to purchase [something] with their free funnel cake and/or paid their free funnel cake forward to bless someone else. All in the spirit of supporting small businesses.”

Dennette’s story shows that we can get through this together and demonstrates “the beauty in the midst of this horrible crisis.” Funnel cake, anyone?

Related content: How to Pay It Forward to Other Small Businesses

4. Finding new friends in old places

Sometimes, in the middle of bad things, a little bloom of beauty springs forth. And that is where the next start begins.

Sometimes the best stories are right in our backyard. 

Tom Adkins lives in Houston, TX, in a neighborhood that he’s called home for eight years. Like most of us, Tom’s been so busy running his business and living his life that he hasn’t spent much time with the people in his neighborhood. “A friendly wave, a 20 second chat, and off we go to wherever our lives are headed that moment,” he says.

Over the years, he noticed an older man riding his bike in the neighborhood each night, usually when Tom’s coming home from work or on his way somewhere. But they never had the chance to connect.

Now that the Coronavirus outbreak happened, Tom’s been spending more time at home, which gave him the opportunity to catch up on his yard work, and by chance, officially meet his neighbor.

“He rode past me, and we waved. On his second [lap], he stopped and we started talking,” Tom says. “His name is Bob. He moved here 40 years ago. We talked about family, a little about our careers, our lives, and our bad knees. It turns out, he is a wonderful guy.”

Just like that, Tom made a new friend, which might never have happened if it weren’t for the circumstances. 

“Sometimes, in the middle of bad things, a little bloom of beauty springs forth. And that is where the next start begins.” 

5. Feeding the community: A tamale tale

Out of all this darkness and uncertainty, one thing is for sure; kindness, unity, and hope are the best qualities of our community.

The restaurant industry has taken a huge hit with the outbreak, forcing business owners to adapt quickly. And in many cases, providing an opportunity to uplift their communities.

In Portland, OR, Bill Denham shared a story of one restaurant owner determined to do his part. 

Hector Mejia Zamora owns Zamora Café, a Guatemalan café that sells coffee and—you guessed it—tamales. Despite inevitable challenges, Hector and his mother have been donating tamales to people at local schools, churches, transition centers, and labor centers. 

In an email Bill shared with us, Hector reached out to his neighbors about his efforts and shared his thoughts on their community and his gratitude for being a part of it:

“Out of all this madness, darkness and uncertainty, one thing is for sure; kindness, unity, and hope are the best qualities of our community,” Hector wrote. 

“I'm more than grateful for everyone coming together to help me to keep going and enabling me to contribute to our community.”

Related content: How to Help Local Restaurants and Hospitals During Coronavirus

6. Remembering those we lost

One of the many tragedies of this outbreak is the inability to grieve in traditional ways. If you’ve lost anyone, you’re likely delaying funerals until the crisis ends. But celebrating people’s lives and honoring them with others is an important part of our healing. 

That’s why this story is so special. 

Cynthia Henrie from Los Angeles, CA, shared that faith-based leaders in her community were coming together to offer virtual memorials for those who’ve lost someone during this time.

“[My partner] and 30 other officiants are offering virtual memorials for anyone needing one right now since people can't have actual funerals,” Cynthia says. They can also provide traditional funerals once isolation is over. 

The group of people who are offering services is diverse, so they can create special ceremonies for different cultures and beliefs.

“They are from all different backgrounds (Catholic, Jewish, Muslim, Christian, etc.) and ethnicities,” Cynthia explains. “People speak different languages and can provide a lot of specialized individualized services for anyone's loved one who has died (COVID-19 or other deaths).” 

These services may bring a bit of comfort to those in pain and are a great example of how a community is responding to unexpected needs.

7. Making music for all to hear

Live music lifts your spirits, and we musicians need it just as much!

Due to cancellations of in-person events, musicians are struggling to stay afloat in this new environment. But their creativity lends itself well to tough times. Tracey Teske LaGuardia, a violinist in Denver, CO and her fellow musicians are a great example.

Tracey decided to come together with other musicians in her neighborhood to play, despite the circumstances. 

“I gathered a couple of my neighbors who are also musicians, and we put on a concert in the cul-de-sac for the neighborhood. (with lawn chairs six feet apart, of course!),” she says.

Tracey didn’t stop there. She reached out to other musicians to share her idea and encourage her friends to keep performing. “I posted it on Facebook and encouraged all my musician friends to do the same.”

Now that she’s performed for her neighborhood, she’s reaching out to new audiences. “I'm trying to set up concerts outside of retirement homes—they can just open their windows,” Tracey explains.

Other musicians across the globe have been performing for their communities, creating something beautiful and healing out of this crisis.

“Live music definitely lifts your spirits, and we musicians need it just as much!” Tracey says.

8. Expressing gratitude and joy

During times like these, it’s so important to relieve our stress and help those around us stress less too. Some great techniques include expressing gratitude and finding ways to be joyful, despite the circumstances. Karen Degney shares how her community in Reno, NV is doing just that.

“Absolutely great things are happening,” she says, before she launches into some of the highlights.

Among them is expressing gratitude to the people who are keeping her community safe. “Each night at 8 p.m., you can walk outside your door and hear cheers from the neighbors thanking the healthcare workers!” Karen says. Communities across the globe are paying tribute to their healthcare workers in a similar way.

In addition, Karen mentions how one of her neighbors is providing free resources to the community. ”Another neighbor is making masks for free and leaving them at a local library. People are now leaving other things there for each other and material to make more masks,” she says.

But one of our favorite parts of Karen’s neighborhood response is how they spread joy in little and humorous ways. “We have a neighbor who has a little pig named Kevin Bacon,” she explains. 

“They post funny pig jokes, take him on walks around the neighborhood so people can see him (while safe distancing), and post cute photos of him.”

Karen’s community’s response is a reminder to look for things that make you smile and spread that joy with those around you, especially if you happen to own a pig with a punny name.

9. Spreading positivity

None of us are immune to what's happening right now. But at the end of the day, we WILL get through this.

Like many of us, Tabitha Naylor in Tampa, FL was feeling overwhelmed with the news. “We are constantly being inundated with ‘doom and gloom’ from the media,” she says. And rather than let the negativity take over, she decided to do something about it. 

“The positives that are happening are getting buried. I would like to try and change that,” she says.

Tabitha created a widget that features uplifting stories of what’s going on in the world around Coronavirus right now. “I've created a widget that [is] a dynamically-updated, COVID-19 positive news page,” she explains. 

Even better? Tabitha is offering this widget to business owners for free. 

Head on over to her Covid-19 Positive News page to check out the site. If you’re interested in adding it to yours, Tabitha can provide you with the code and even help you add it. The code simply pulls in the news page and doesn’t promote or mention her business at all. 

Despite her focus on the good, Tabitha has also been affected by this crisis: “I’ve lost over 50 percent of my client base,” she says. “However, I want to try and do what I can to make a difference, and to help SMBs nationwide try to get through all of this." 

“We are all in this together, and none of us are immune to what's happening right now. But at the end of the day, we WILL get through this,” she explains.

Tabitha’s story reiterates the resilience of small business owners everywhere and acts as an example of how you can help even when you’re hurting too.

What’s your story?

We know there are countless stories like these in communities all over the world. And we want to hear them! 

Tell us how your community and business is responding to the outbreak in creative and helpful ways. Your story might save a small business, inspire a community to rally together, or simply remind you of the importance of kindness.

We’ll add to this piece over time, so come back soon for more community responses. 

Want more stories of how small businesses are rising to the challenge? Watch our small business diaries series.