Restaurants across the state were forced to offer to-go orders only. She lost contact with customers and a significant portion of her income. She’s only gotten $20 per day as many people try to stay away from the spread of the virus. Whittington has been rebuilding her life after years of using drugs. With her two children, Sammy, 7 years old, and Jared (8 years), Whittington lives in a camper. They both attend Simpson Central Elementary School, just a few miles from Magee. Whittington was unable to make plans on Sunday morning after officials announced that spring break would be delayed indefinitely. It’s not just paycheck-to-paycheck for us. She said that she lives day-to-day. “I didn’t have anyone to look after the children. I would have had to quit work which would have meant I would lose the little I earn now. It was clear that I couldn’t afford childcare. It became a question of what I was going to feed my children.” Beverly Dear, a Florence woman, had an idea. After reading about the coronavirus, she was interested in the school closings. Dear stated, “I remember how stressful it was when one my children got sick. I had to make it work.” “I thought, ‘We have this huge house that’s empty. Dear, whose children are now grown, suggested that she do something. Her husband Tim agreed to the idea. On Sunday morning at 8 am, Dear logged on to her Facebook page and put out a request for child care: “Free Child Care!” Knowing that the children are going to be absent from school due to financial hardship, we know that a lot parents are in a difficult time. In times like these, the financial burden can be difficult. Tim and I have made our home a temporary zone for kids. You can bring your children (school-aged kids only) and we’ll take care of them, feed and have fun! The post was shared many times and reached hundreds of people in the area. Whittington’s Waffle House boss, who was aware of her employee’s dilemma, was one of those people. Dear was the first to contact Whittington about free child care. Whittington dropped Sammy and Jared off at Dear’s home the next morning at 5:05 a.m. Although the spread of coronavirus has caused many lives to be disrupted and threatened, it also connected two women living only a few miles apart. It inspired Dear to act of kindness and reminded Whittington about the inherent goodness of Mississippians. Whittington stated, “Good people still exist even though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it.” “I don’t know how I would have done it without (Dear). Dear is a blessing. She has taken in 14 children, ranging from 7 to 11. Dear’s sister, mom and niece have all been there to keep the children busy while their parents are at work. The kids enjoyed puzzles and playing board games during the day. They have played putt-putt and cornhole, as well as watched movies. Dear’s niece has a farm nearby, so they loaded up their cars and rode to the farm, where Dear and her children fed cows, goats, and horses. Dear received help from both old friends and strangers as she shared her Facebook post. They offered to cook for the children and asked for her PayPal details. Dear stated that many people had reached out to her in an effort to help. “People started coming up with snacks and other things, just to show their support. “I was a little concerned about the cost of it all but everyone started responding.” Whittington can now go to work every day for at least this week and next week knowing that Dear is taking care of her children. Whittington didn’t get just free child care from this chance connection. Whittington cried as her voice cracked from the pain of her loss. It was everything I needed. Dear and her momma have really saved me.” Dear stated that she has received more from the experience than she gave her money and time. Dear stated, “I believe right now, especially in this time, helping people was the most important thing we could do.” “Seeing so many good things in so many people through this — I can’t tell you what a blessing that has been.” [Click Here to Enter Mississippi Today’s COVID-19 Resource Portal. ]