Ashlea Kosikowski

WILMINGTON, NC (FOX WILMINGTON) – Delivery drivers are the unsung heroes of the pandemic in many ways, from food delivery to the mail carriers who helped Americans during the quarantine.

Over the past several weeks, a different force of delivery drivers hit the roads: students.

Cape Fear Community College, Hoggard High School and Cape Fear Academy students meet weekly at Mary C. Williams Elementary in Wilmington to take work packets to students/families who do not have internet access.

Quaid Sutherland, a Hoggard High School student who is one of the founders on G2 Give Global, a group that works to spread the love of education around the world, organized some of the volunteers.

“We had a bunch of out reach trips planned for this summer that we were going to do about because of the coronavirus a lot of those were canceled and so we were thinking about it and we wanted to do something locally still because we still felt like we could make a difference here. So we went to Mary C Williams and we had a history of community service with them and they said we have all these packets that we really need delivered to these kids who don’t have access to the Internet and the social workers have been doing it a really overwhelmed with other stuff right now.”

The principal of the school said she is grateful.

“It’s an opportunity for students to help students, older students to help younger students, and it’s just been a great partnership and it’s been a huge help to us,” said Amy Oots.

Oots said remote learning has been going well. Still, remote learning does not mean online learning only.

That’s where these volunteers come in.

Sutherland said it’s been rewarding to see some of the kids while on his delivery route.

“There has been some interaction from a distance,” he said. “It’s been super positive. People are really happy to get the packets and there were some kids that had a puppy and they were really excited to tell us the name and everything and we dropped off their homework and they thanked us. It’s been an awesome experience.”

WILMINGTON, NC (FOX WILMINGTON) – When we face a crisis, unsung heroes rise to the challenge.

The clerks and those who stock shelves at grocery stores, kitchen staff in restaurants, delivery drivers, healthcare workers and first responders — their work is getting us through the coronavirus pandemic.

In some cases, they have the personal protective equipment they need; in other cases, they do not due to shortages.

Still, they are there at their jobs.

They make sure we have what we need to stay at home. If we fall ill, they are there to treat us.

Since this crisis hit North Carolina, members of our community found ways to say thank you to our essential workers.

From a man standing at a busy intersection holding a sign that states, “I love Wilmington” to parades for healthcare workers, people are showing their appreciation.

There are signs of hope and encouragement throughout the community.

Letters that spell out “heroes work here” greeted doctors, nurses, staff and custodians who work at New Hanover Regional Medical Center.

Police and firefighters put on a parade for workers at Novant Health in Brunswick County, where one worker said, “I don’t look at myself as a hero and I think most of the staff and frontline team would say that they don’t feel like heroes. This is what we do.”

We beg to differ.

Heroes are among us.

We see you.

And we want to say thank you.

Unsung Heroes: Students hit the road to help in time of need

Unsung Heroes: Essential workers on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic

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Ashlea Kosikowski

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