Community rallies during tough times
Relationships matter, and we're reminded of the importance of such ties as we all continue to struggle to survive in the worst pandemic in decades and one of the worst economic climates in years.
While doing interviews about Oklahoma City's efforts to aid struggling small businesses, stories emerged of how people battling tough times are still helping each other get by.
Demetra Bailey, one of the few business owners on the East Side to apply for the city's Business Continuity Program, contacted several fellow businesses trying to spread the word about the assistance.
Bailey, meanwhile, was quick to praise her banker Cameron, who I correctly guessed was Cameron Brewer, vice president of commercial capital at
BancFirst. Brewer excelled at communicating with customers via email on how to navigate the complicated Paycheck Protection Plan passed by Congress.
That is part of the job, but still, it was vital to confused business owners across the state. But Brewer and other officials at BancFirst went one step further, paying customers like Bailey to provide meals for overworked bank employees.
“The only catering we got in the month of April was from BancFirst,” Bailey said. ”They were hiring their customers who are restaurants and caterers. It added up (to) 322 meals. That's a nice catering job. They were processing so many loans they were providing lunch at their downtown office. We got that work three times.”
Norma Ericson, owner of Grill on the Hill in Capitol Hill, said at one point she had to give up her paycheck to keep paying employees. The beloved diner is a community gathering spot, but when the pandemic hit, her sales dropped 70% to 80%.
Her loyal customers, unable to dine inside during the first weeks of the pandemic, went out of their way to order take-out meals.
“We're so blessed to have awesome repeat customers,” Ericson said. ”About 70% of our clientele are repeat customers.”
What happened next, however, kept Grill on the Hill alive during its darkest days. One of those regulars, Levi Wade, a broker with Country Financial, paid Ericson $500 to provide meals for local emergency responders. Other customers took up his challenge to buy more meals.
“They supported us
through this,” Ericson said. “When we were shut down, we had people donating money to feed firefighters, police, EMSA, doctors and nurses. We
delivered food to the hospitals.”
Yes, there are some bad actors among us. But hearing these anecdotes reminds us there was truth in that corny
old tale of George Bailey in It's a Wonderful Life. When times are at their bleakest, communities rally around each other, finding ways to survive to fight another day.