Kentucky Kids Cope With Pandemic by Encouraging Others

Paducah KY

21 September, 2021

1:38 PM

Description

CHRIS JACKSON WAS A FRESHMAN at Paducah Tilghman High in Paducah, Kentucky, when COVID-19 first shut down his school. “I was really excited,” admits Chris. “I thought, I don’t have to get up at 5:30 anymore!” As the reality of life under lockdown set in, excitement gave way to stress. Chris, who deals with ADHD, found online school a challenge. “But my greatest source of stress during the pandemic,” he says, “has been been being home all the time and not knowing what to do. I can’t watch TV all day.” Kentucky educators recognize the danger the pandemic poses for children’s mental health. In Warren County, schools have seen “more anxiety, stress and depression” among students since the onset of COVID-19, says Lighthouse Academy Guidance Counselor Krista Hunt. Chris has learned to cope with stress by encouraging others. He is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and before the pandemic Chris visited neighbors in Paducah with Bible in hand. Now he writes letters with a Bible message and has also been sending cards to encourage residents of a local nursing home. “I like to include the scripture at Isaiah 33:24 and let them know that soon nobody will be sick,” says Chris. And since he loves to work with his hands, Chris includes a little origami animal or heart for the recipient. The sixteen-year-old feels that time spent encouraging others is well-spent. “When I read something in the Bible, I want to share it,” says Chris. “Helping others takes away the stress.” Jennifer Cruz of Warren County feels that this same activity has helped her daughters Avery, 8, and Cailin, 12, as well. “Using their time and energy to share positive thoughts with other people who are having difficulties has helped the girls not to feel too overwhelmed or anxious during the pandemic,” says Jennifer. As Guidance Counselor Krista Hunt observes, “Helping can give children a sense of purpose during uncertain times.” During the height of the pandemic, frontline worker Bethany Watts helped her Grayson County neighbors with both practical and emotional support. She remembers one woman who came through her line at the Leitchfield Walmart where the 17-year-old worked as a cashier. “She was frustrated with how the pandemic was being handled,” remembers Bethany. “She also came up three dollars short.” Bethany could tell the woman was struggling, so she made up the difference from her own pocket and told the woman about the Bible’s promise of a heavenly government that will be able to handle crises perfectly.  At other times she comforted those who had lost loved ones in death. One woman whose business had been hit hard by COVID closures told Bethany, “I’ve been trying to time my visits to Walmart for when it’s not busy so that we can talk more. It really boosts my mood.” It helped Bethany, too. “Talking to people was how I got through the day,” she says. 15-year-old Akili Bilombele attends the Swahili Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Bowling Green. Born in Tanzania, he spent the first years of his life in refugee camps. Conditions were difficult. “There wasn’t that much food,” he says softly. Now as he sees his neighbors going through hard times, he tries to comfort them. When he calls them on the phone to share a Bible thought, says Akili, “I like to read James 1:13 because it explains that God is not the cause of our suffering.” Akili also calls members of his congregation to encourage them. Says Donna Kirk, who regularly receives messages of support from Akili, “I am so uplifted and encouraged every time I hear from this young man.” As the new school year begins amid the uncertainty of an ongoing pandemic, Chris Jackson, now a junior, has goals. He hopes to complete classes in construction at the new Paducah Innovation Hub — “we’re going to do windows and framing,” he says, but knows that the immediate future is unpredictable.  Still, like other Kentucky youths who are busy encouraging their neighbors, he is grateful to have a positive way to cope with pandemic stress. “Sometimes I even forget about COVID-19,” says Chris with a smile. Public Information Desk | 900 Red Mills Road, Wallkill, New York, 12589 | 718-560-5600 | [email protected]