On Friday, March 27, 2020, Governor Cooper announced a statewide stay-at-home order to combat the increasingly rapid spread of covid. I’m sure there’s no need to remind you that nonessential businesses closed their doors. City streets were empty. Students began virtual learning. Overwhelming uncertainty surrounded the disease and the ramifications it would bring.
Five years later, the covid pandemic seems simultaneously distant and lingering. We remember all too well the apprehension about the future, the loss of loved ones, and the necessary alterations forced on daily life — social distancing, masks, and Zoom meetings among them.
Thankfully, many carried through a new appreciation for community, in-person gatherings, and the importance of human connection.
To commemorate the five-year anniversary, we look back on scenes from March and April 2020.
People seem to truly appreciate the opportunity to see each other in person now and work to keep their friendships and family relationships strong.
– Ann Marie Amico, Amico Brand Design, Fuquay-Varina Angel Fund
Weeks after the statewide shutdown orders, Fuquay-Varina resident Scott Quilty galvanized a grassroots effort to raise money to support small businesses, called the Fuquay-Varina Angel Fund. After soliciting more than $120,000 in donations from corporations, businesses, and community members, the fund awarded grants to vulnerable small businesses during a time of economic hardship. The effort’s team of volunteers included Dawn Russell, Ann Marie Amico, Scott Quilty, Krista Absure, Kate Davis, David Morgan, and Bridget Falco.
Fuquay-Varina Angel Fund volunteers
Through the Angel Fund, Fuquay-Varina came together during an uncertain time and made an effort to save the small businesses we held dear — small businesses that are part of the character of our town.
– Scott Quilty, MedScribes, Fuquay-Varina Angel Fund
When I walk or drive through town today, I see many of the businesses that received grants still thriving. While it was many volunteers and donors who made the Angel Fund possible, business owners still thank me in passing — not for a grant they received many years ago, but for how it made them feel to be thought of during such a terrible time in our country.
– Scott Quilty
It’s incredibly difficult for me to think back to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic without getting emotional. It was such a scary time to be a business owner, community member, and parent.
I remember reading daily news briefs and wondering how new protocols were going to impact our business and the lives of our team members.
– Katie Dies, owner, Stick Boy Bread Co.
Katie Dies, Stick Boy Bread Co.
Covid changed the way that we operate. We very quickly launched an online ordering system and began offering curbside pickup. Those are two tools that we still use today.
– Katie Dies
The lasting impression I have is that we are very vulnerable. And that cooperation, personal responsibility, and respect are the tools that help move us through periods of great uncertainty and danger.
– Ann Marie Amico
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