Standing Together Through Thick and Thin
The Love and Care Group from the Chinese Community
But what is and/or who are the Love and Care group, you ask? Originating from a WeChat group, the Love and Care group is a self-organized collection of volunteers; a grass-roots initiative devoted to full transparency and utmost financial integrity. We have one goal and one goal only: staging a community-led response to the threats and implications of COVID-19 in the City of Ottawa. Although we are not a registered charity, each of our members’ professionality and dedication to the cause is truly inspiring.
In one mere month, our group’s efforts have compelled over 400 individuals to join our ranks. Despite the fact that our members come from all walks of life and are spread across 2,790 square kilometres, the COVID-19 crisis united us against a common enemy. As many (but certainly not all!) members of our group belong to the greater Chinese diaspora, we have witnessed, some first-hand or through their relatives, the full-scale assault that this deadly pandemic has mounted on the mainland. Its shadow looming over Canada and the rest of the world, it was evident that there was no escape from this impending nightmare. Rather, strength, courage, preparation, and innovation must be called upon to weather the storm. One must keep in mind that COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory infection and thus its toll on every aspect our healthcare system. We, as a society, are waging a war for our survival. Our soldiers are not only the front-line medical staff and the essential workers/support staff holding up our society, but also every single individual who dares to call themselves Ottawan. Every hospital, retirement home, and community centre is a war zone, facing monumental challenges that must be overcome. Doctors and nurses work day and night, treating patients without end while putting themselves at immense risk. Hospital staff maintain a safe working environment and allow for continued operation. Essential workers keep the basics of society flowing, preventing our progress from grinding to a halt. All others, who have the privilege and luxury of engaging in near-total isolation, must do their part to protect these pillars of Ottawa from falling ill.
The fight against COVID-19 requires specialized instruments and devices for medical care. These include ventilators, personal protective equipment (gowns, masks, shields, and gloves), test kits for detecting and monitoring its spread and, of course, vast quantities of regular hospital supplies such as disinfectants. Even with all these tools at our disposal, the life-threatening risk that this disease poses to our dedicated medical personnel face is undeniable. As in any competition, a team emerges victorious solely as a result of the bond between its members. We are no exception to this rule, as each and every one of us has witnessed the effects that COVID-19 can have on every community which we are so proud to call ourselves a part of. Through the accounts of our relatives, loved ones, and friends early this year in southeastern Asia, fresh images populated our minds of what could happen in Ottawa. And now, as the brunt of the disease comes crashing down upon us, we grit our teeth and continue our fight against it in our homes here.
In China, we have an old saying that literally translates to ‘we are stronger when we are together’. A similar English idiom would be “standing together through thick and thin,” that is, through times good and bad. The universality of these kinds of expressions no doubt signifies a collective strength that can only be achieved when individuals across all walks of life link hands and give back as much as possible the community that nurtures and cradles us. In winning this fight, we rely not only upon strong leadership, professional medical staff and essential front-line workers, but the mundane everyday efforts of you and me. We will all get through this together.
