With ringing bells and songs of appreciation, members of the Navy Yard community threw open their windows and sliding doors last Saturday evening to make a resounding noise in support of all essential workers – including those in health care, grocery store workers, city and state employees and first responders.
Friends of the Charlestown Navy Yard President Michael Parker said he was told of a similar effort in London where residents of neighborhoods were coordinating efforts to throw open their windows and cheered with song, bells and whistles those working to keep everyone inside safe.
He felt it would be a nice thing to coordinate in the Navy Yard, and so on Saturday at 6 p.m. – a joyful noise emerged from the Yard.
“Those of us whose job it is to stay in place and observe social distancing wanted to show our appreciation to the health care workers, first responders and the essential personnel working on the front lines to make sure we get care, food, medicine, mail, essential government and social services and everything else that is keeping us safe during this trying time,” Parker said. “We decided that creatively cheering from our windows in unison would be a safe and positive way to do so. It was inspiring to hear all that pent up appreciation pouring from those windows. We are looking forward to the time when we can thank all those brave and selfless persons face to face, but until then we’ll continue to find other safe and creative ways to show our profound appreciation.”
Octavio and Jeanne Hurtado said they were happy to participate in the only way they could.
“It was a great spirit and support for our irreplaceable community providers of emergency services in all areas,” they said. “We did our noisy part and sent our sincere appreciation for their service.”
Doug Pope of Eighth Street said he is so appreciative of essential parts of the economy that continue to function.
“We are all in this together,” he said. “It is so important that during this uncertain time, we can depend upon the essential parts of our economy to function without fear or panic setting in and making the situation worse. We thank the folks in the supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, banks, the truck drivers, the US Postal workers, the nurses, doctors and all of the healthcare workers and state and municipal workers and professions that all make the system function. We also need to laugh at our troubles. The news is bad and it is going to get worse but we will work our way through this time together and after some time, we will be stronger for it.”