Thanking Our Everyday Heroes

When COVID-19 hit the U.S. early this year, about one-third of Americans began working from home to limit contact with others and slow the spread of the virus. However, many people still had to keep their businesses operating in order to keep essential infrastructure in place. Because of their work, we could consistently rely on stocked grocery store shelves and a functioning supply chain.

During Congress's annual August work period, I was able to travel around the Fourth District and thank some of these everyday heroes in person. From grocery store clerks, to truck drivers, to PPE suppliers, to farm workers, thousands of people immediately shifted operations to meet an increased demand. Places like Tanner's Sports and Crystal Ridge Distillery in Hot Springs began producing protective equipment like masks and hand sanitizer. First responders showed up to work every day to keep our communities safe. Community State Bank helped small businesses with the Paycheck Protection Program and the Cup of Water Food Pantry provided food for people out of work. Across the state, trucking companies got food and other essential items where they needed to be.

This is just a small sampling of the hundreds of thousands of business owners and workers who kept America running during a global pandemic. Without them, life as we know it would've ground to a halt. As always, Arkansans rose to meet a challenge head-on, and I'm so grateful for their service.