Grace Abounds: Stories of Heroes and Hope

Fred Rogers, host of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood, once said, “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'” That has proved true during this coronavirus crisis. Many are in need, but there are also many helpers offering heroism and hope.

This week on The Patrick Madrid Show, Patrick emphasized the examples of hope and kindness that have been shown in the past few weeks. If you are feeling weighed down by all the bad news of past weeks, read on for stories that highlight the best of humanity.

Arena Turns into Food Distribution Center
With all sports, concerts, and large-scale events cancelled, arenas such as the Honda Center in Anaheim, CA could remain empty and unused for the foreseeable future. But rather than remaining empty, the Honda Center has turned itself into a drive-through food bank for those in need.

Landlord Offering Rent Relief
John Zutz, a landlord in Milwaukee, knows that with many people forced to stay at home, some of his tenants may have difficulties paying their bills. In an effort to help, he lowered his rent for the month of April to just $100.

“I see what’s happening inside the world, in the country, and I realize there’s going to be a lot of people out of work, and they need help,” Zutz said. “I’m not sure if (my tenants) need it or not. That’s the point. They may not need it, but I encourage them, if they don’t need it, to spend the money in the neighborhood.”

Though Zutz will lose money on rental income, this act of solidarity shows that we’re all in this together. And when we have an opportunity to ease each other’s burdens, we should.

Stephanie Foley serves as a Digital Media Producer at Relevant Radio®. She is a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, where she studied journalism, and she has worked in Catholic radio for 12 years. Stephanie is a wife, a mother of three boys, and in her free time she enjoys reading, running, and really good coffee. You can find more of Stephanie’s writing at relevantradio.com and on the free Relevant Radio mobile app.