Whether it comes from the state or the federal level, businesses throughout the country now await the financial assistance they applied for, while some are struggling to get into the pipeline. On the other end, government workers are rushing to deal with an ever-increasing tsunami of applications, as COVID-19’s financial impact deepens.

Creative souls are everywhere, and they’re showing it every day.

Uncertainty and confusion are among the many hurdles business communities are facing amid the COVID-19 pandemic, but chambers of commerce are working to help during these rapidly changing times.

Notes of gratitude have never been more important, and they can keep us going, even while taking on the toughest of times.

So much has changed in the world, and one of those things is time. For many people, the days blend together; there’s just being.

The word sanctuary is almost always connected with religion, but its basic meaning in the Oxford dictionary is worth pondering these days: "a place of refuge or safety."

Downtown bookstores have a long history. For decades, they’ve fueled local creative economies, unlocked new ideas, and been the place where locals gather for an intellectual boost and some good reads.

The pillars of our daily lives underwent a swift re-vamp amid the current world crisis, and we may be seeing a renewal of faith across the globe.

Music is the universal language, and for many people, it’s helping to get them through the COVID-19 crisis. Musicians have answered the call with a number of live shows online. One of them is Jay Nash, a longtime internationally-touring musician based in Hartland, Vermont. 

Some things are inevitable, whatever challenges the world faces. Spring, for one. Flowers are starting to bloom, robins are out, afternoon walks are happening. All these things bring their promise of hope, in a world that could really use it.

Communities have rallied to tackle many needs which have arisen out of the COVID-19 pandemic, and they give the rest of us hope. When the crisis deepened in Vermont, concern grew about the impact on seniors, who are among the most vulnerable to the coronavirus, but also need a host of services on a regular basis.

A simple but needed message hit Woodstock, Vermont, recently. “We got this, Vermont,” read a painted sign sitting in one of the flower pots lining a cement railing downtown - a sign of confidence in one another, to lighten these difficult days.

Take away nearly all in-person communications, and you have a changed world. That’s where we find ourselves, this very moment. Some of the key functions of daily life have kept moving forward, but in a different mode of existing, online. That includes school, church, music shows, government and so many others.

Together. That’s been the final word in most of Gov. Phil Scott’s public addresses to Vermonters about the COVID-19 outbreak. And it describes how many Vermonters and their fellow Americans are getting through this challenging time. Grassroots efforts have sprung up to: create more N95 masks for hospitals; provide school meal drop-offs for low-income students who are now distance-learning; deliver important supplies to people unable to shop - among many other examples.