For Mason County Sheriff Patrick Boggs, it is simply a way for his department to pass it forward during this trying time, to repay the kindness he and his officers have been shown over the years.

So he came up with the idea to distribute goodie bags filled with candy and snacks to truck drivers the department encounters each day.

While police officers, fire fighters and even medical personnel are often hailed as heroes and recognized for their work, it is taking a different kind of heroes to cope with the COVID-19 crisis.

“Everybody keeps first responders in mind,” Boggs said. But the current situation has demonstrated the importance of other professionals such as those in the medical field, truck drivers and grocery store employees. It is taking those people in those professions “to get us through this,” Boggs said.

“We’ve been shown such gratitude in years past,” Boggs said, that he wanted to return the favor.

While truck drivers are bring pulled over for legitimate reasons, like over one mile per hour over the limit, they are being handed the treats rather than a ticket and being thanked for their work rather than given a talk on a violation.

“It’s to show our appreciation for them keeping America going,” Boggs said.

The reaction once drivers realize what is happening has been “worth it,” Boggs said. “It’s been awesome.”

You know you’ve on to something when a big burly truck driver dissolves in tears over a simply gift of candy and snacks, he said.

Boggs said his department has also delivered dinners to the hospital emergency room staff, the fire department and police, drug stores and grocery stores.

Big or small, the effort is appreciated, Boggs can say from experience.

“I think we can all do things like that,” he said.

And while much of the news surrounding the COVID-19 crisis can be grim, there is also evidence of the community pulling together.

Most recently, a Facebook dedicated to neighbors helping neighbors in Mason County was created.

The COVID-19 Maysville/Mason County Support Group was born out of a desire to have a platform to allow those who want to help to connect with those who have a need, said Rod Baker, publisher of The Ledger Independent and the group’s organizer. The group encourages people to do what they can or to request what they need. It’s a place where information can be shared and encouragement offered, Baker said.

“I saw that Bracken County had something going on for support and a friend of mine posted about a group in the Northern Kentucky/Cincinnati Area that had also formed to offer support. I took some time to research it and saw that nothing had been done for our community,” he said.

He created the page Saturday evening and by bedtime about 50 people had joined. By Sunday morning that number had grown to 150. Now, less than three days later, there are more than 2,200 members.

“There are all kinds of needs expressed from making masks, to requests for help with mowing a lawn. We have RN’s, business owners, community partners, and people from all walks of life and ages, stepping up to offer assistance in many ways. If people have questions, through the power of a collective audience an answer can be provided,” Baker said.

“It’s grown to not only encompass the Maysville, Mason County area, but includes people from all of our contiguous counties and beyond. The response has been a bit overwhelming and heartwarming all in one. In a time when it appears to be bleak, your faith in humanity can be restored by seeing the compassion that others have for our community,” he said.

With the fast pace of growth within the group, Maysville resident, Rick Lawrence, has stepped up and offered to help manage the group.

The group is open to any person, entity, or other group that has a need, and anyone that has the resources or desire to help others in our community.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about us as individuals as much as it is about our community and the legacy that we’ll all leave. We must all do our part and stand up for those in need in this time of crisis. It can be something as simple as making a call to a shut-in, sending a birthday card to a child who’s missed their party, to making or cleaning masks for our front-line healthcare workers. We are all in this together and together we’ll get through this.”

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Mary Ann Kearns

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