Neighbors, friends, and families,
In these unprecedented and uncharted times in our collective experience, when the scrooge of a virus has overtaken all of our lives, it is abundantly clear, that in order to get through this, we will all have to be our brothers keepers.
Firstly, we all need at this time to continue to do everything to secure the health of ourselves and our families and thus, by doing so, we will all be safe, fit and ready for the challenges of recovery that lay ahead.
Your health professional will always be your best resource for health information but common sense has told us, no matter your current health, improving your immune system function will always help you to deal better with any health challenges you may face. Educate yourself about immune health and take the necessary steps to improve yours and your loved ones immune functioning. And, do not just guard your physical health, but take care of your mental health. In these very stressful times, seek the help of a mental health professional if you need it. Do not suffer in silence!
As your community leader, now more than ever, I pledge to lead on your behalf through these challenging times. I will redouble my efforts and lend my voice to the issues most important to your lives to make sure that together, we emerge from this stronger, more robust and more prepared.
As we go through this chapter of our lives, we must not forget to reach back in history, because we have examples of times in this great country, when we have had to lift ourselves from pandemics, recessions and dislocations. There are indeed lessons, that we can learn from those who have gone before us.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, in his inaugural address on March 1933, at the height of the great depression, after taking the oath of office, with his bible turned to I Corinthians 13 said "The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself. Nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance."
Let us reflect on the words of this great president. Together we will rise as this great nation has done before, through American ingenuity, hard work and a redoubled effort to treat each other with dignity, respect, empathy and compassion.
Your Commissioner,
Mark A. Douglas
