show of strength

Never in our lifetimes have we been so apart yet so together. We are separated, not only by 6 feet and social distancing, but also by ideology, economics and perspective. We are also together. When filling out unemployment forms and re-examining family budgets, we know millions of Americans are in the same situation. When isolating at home, we know millions of others are, too. We acknowledge it in our social media posts and even in sidewalk chalk art. We’re finding ways to maintain our sanity and our connections. We’re even finding ways to help others. On the following pages, SW FL Parent & Child highlights these efforts.

Cherrie and Scott Hamilton, of Fort Myers, have been sheltering at home with 12 of their kids. “We stay home so our babies stay healthy. Several children in our home are considered medically fragile and catching this virus could cause them detrimental harm. Having adult children during this time is really difficult. We want to bring everyone home from all over and keep them safe. However, for the sake of our littles we cannot do that. This quarantine has changed our lives in so many ways. We are spending every day/all day together as a family. We are doing school at home as our days allow, being happy and healthy are our priority. ... We are playing outside more, bingeing (food and TV shows), and generally enjoying being together,” Cherrie says.

Filling the need to help “As we all are very concerned over the coronavirus affecting thousands, we felt the need to assist during this difficult time in Naples,” mom Hennika Burger tells us in an email. “My son William is 15 and has a fractured elbow, but even this won’t stop him to want to go and make a difference now. (He fractured his elbow while playing soccer in England the last nine weeks.) … William is assisting during weekdays with “Meals of Hope” in Naples and Bonita Springs currently. We use now a drivethrough system handing out meals. As you can imagine, the needs are high.”

Pomp and circumstance By Adam Regan, The News-Press

Throughout Southwest Florida and across the country, the NCAA’s spring Signing Day had a different look. There were no tables decorated with college swag sitting in the middle of a crowded gymnasium or on stage at a jampacked auditorium.

Instead, due to schools being closed and with Florida in the midst of a stay-at-home order from the governor, student-athletes celebrated their college signings at home with close family.

That didn’t make it less special for athletes like Fort Myers High School runner Stephy Ormsby.

The two-time News-Press Cross Country Runner of the Year finalist signed a National Letter of Intent to continue her athletic career at the University of Florida. She and five other Greenies solidified their futures in unique ways at home.

“I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to run for the University of Florida for the next four years. UF has been my dream school ever since I was a little girl and being able to run at coach (Yancey) Palmer’s alma matter makes this experience even more special,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to be the athlete I am today without the constant support from my family, Coach Palmer and the entire team, and for that I feel so incredibly blessed and cannot thank them enough. I hope to return the favor by making everyone proud and representing Fort Myers well. Go Gators.” TOP: Riverdale wrestler Jesse Martinez committed to the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. BOTTOM: ECS forward Drew Tessier committed to Southeastern University to continue his basketball career.

It’s been a tough time for those of us with birthdays recently, especially those of us who are a little too young to understand why all the fun is suddenly canceled.

Southwest Florida law enforcement officers have been going out of their way to help these disappointed birthday boys and girls have a great day, even if social distancing amid a global pandemic means they can’t have a party.

The Collier County Sheriff’s Office wasn’t about to let Golden Gate’s Jaxson Perez miss out on the special law enforcement-themed birthday his family had been planning. Although Jaxson took it well when his mother told him the party was cancelled, the CCSO said in a Facebook post that Sheriff Kevin Rambosk still wanted to make the birthday boy’s day a memorable one.

The sheriff, along with CCSO deputies Lt. Gary Martin and Sgt. Brian Williams, arrived at Jaxson’s home in official vehicles, lights flashing. One CCSO SUV even sported a “Happy Birthday Jaxson” banner in honor of the occasion. In a video posted by the Sherriff’s Office last week, Jaxson shyly approaches them wearing a blue police uniform costume.

“Give us a second Jaxson, we’re gonna sing you a song,” the sheriff says as “Happy Birthday” begins to play over the SUV’s loudspeaker.

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office helped 12-year-old Kylie celebrate her birthday with a surprise parade.

“Many children across the United States have had to cancel their birthday parties due to COVID-19. When we heard that a local 12-year old girl had to cancel her birthday party and her friends and family were planning a birthday parade for her, we knew we wanted to be a part of it. We hope you had an amazing birthday, Kylie!” LCSO wrote in a post on the organization’s Facebook page.

Photos posted on the LCSO Facebook page show a string of first responder vehicles passing by as the birthday girl stands beside a mailbox decorated with balloons. Civilian vehicles joined the mix, too, while occupants held “Happy Birthday Kylie!” posters.

Front Porch Project The visual journalists of The News-Press and Naples Daily

News have been collecting images and stories from throughout Southwest Florida to document daily life during the coronavirus pandemic — while also practicing social distancing.

Many of the families were photographed on their front porch, in their yards and even through windows. The result can be seen on the newspapers’ websites, news-press.com and naplesnews.com.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Darbylee Kreider, 6, dances with her parents, Matt and Deanna, on their front porch in Fort Myers. • John, Robert, 11, Leah, 9, and Jevnn Robinson, of Fort Myers • Caidence, 6, Tiffany and Cory Campbell • Todd, Crosby, Cooper and Anne Burik, of Fort Myers. “The stay home order has allowed us to be more focused on family and looking for fulfillment within our home and neighborhood. Though we have had to make adjustments in our lives largely regarding work and school, we have also realized what we once thought to be necessities are now just not. Many activities, events, things are not that important when trying to protect our health and those around us,” Anne says. • BELOW: Tamara “Joy” Hunter plays with her dog Storm as her husband Rodney Hunter III and son Ryan play catch in their backyard April 13 in Cape Coral.

Garret, Jessica, Gavin, 7, and Maddie Copeland, 11, of Fort Myers. • Charlene Towe and her daughter Jaliyah, 11 months, of Fort Myers.“This really has allowed me to have a closer relationship with God and has shined light on to things I may have taken for granted. It’s definitely giving me more time to really focus on who and what is important in my life,” Charlene says. • Nathan, Cash, 4, Charley, 6, and Kelli Dunlap, of Fort Myers. “As the mother of a medically fragile 4-year old, the stay at home order provides the bubble I’ve always desired. I have felt so much peace with my early decision that we would stay home. The most difficult challenge has been making the decision to separate our family part time while my husband works in the hospital supporting the respiratory department,” Kelli says. • Heather, 6, Elizabeth, Chaya, 10, and Jim Kroll, of Fort Myers.

School isn’t the only education that moved to an online format. Dance Dimensions in Cape Coral took its classes to Zoom so that teachers can direct classes and offer individual instruction in real time.

“So many kids need this,” says owner/instructor Misty Christopher. “They long for the consistency and stability of an activity that makes them happy. It’s their way to escape the anxiety of school, home or bullying.”

If a student can’t “attend” a virtual class, the studio shares recordings online through a private Facebook page. The studio also added masterclasses from professionals through a partnership with CLI Studios. And budding dancers of all ages can see dance at home for free through the studio’s Facebook page.

“We’re working around the clock to provide normalcy and structure for kids, but we’re here for the community too,” Misty says.

Emma Sanchez, 10, of Cape Coral takes dance classes online from home with Dance Dimensions of SWFL.

By Janine Zeitlin, The News-Press Neighbors inspiring neighbors

Even while safely spaced at 6 feet apart, Southwest Florida residents are reaching out to encourage and inspire their neighbors.

Chalked gratitude

Ken Andiorio felt a shot of brightness this week when he saw a chalked message at the end of his Naples driveway.

“Karen, Thanks for being a NURSE!” Wow, what a nice thing, he thought.

How grateful he was to be living in Victoria Park.

He snapped a photo before heading to work. Karen, his wife of 31 years, was asleep inside. She’s a lactation nurse at North Naples Hospital, and recent weeks have been nerve-wracking for the couple, to say the least.

“We’re in our 60’s, just barely,” said Ken, the activities coordinator at Barron Collier High School in Naples. “It just makes it a little scary.”

Especially when news hit about a COVID-19 patient exposing dozens of employees at the hospital.

Oh my gosh, he worried. He texted his wife.

“Are you under quarantine? Are you exposed?”

“Nope,” she wrote. “Sorry about being worried.” “No, I understand, we’re all worried.”

On Tuesday, after seeing the driveway gratitude, Karen texted Ken: “Awesome!”

Later, they mused about suspects. Maybe the neighbors across the street?

Ken tweeted out photos of the message.

“We all need to be looking for the positive things in the chaos going on right now.”

Jessica Copeland’s kids, 6 and 10, were running out of books one Tuesday morning. She imagined other families were, too.

She needed a plan, a distraction from electronics threatening to rot their brains.

We’ve got to find something else to do, she thought.

On Tuesday morning, the family set up a table for books near the white picket fence around their Sunset Park home in Fort Myers.

Gavin, 6, and Madeline, 10, offered up old favorites. “Pete the Cat.” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid.” A few adult books by Mitch Albom entered the mix.

A sign in a child’s scrawl read: “Free kids books from beginers to big readers.”

By the afternoon, several books had new owners. Another neighbor had set out books.

Maybe, even more, would join.

Baylyn and Korbin

Dobson, 6 and 8, put a plush in their window.

A 4-foot teddy bear has been peeking out the upstairs window of Carrie Trepkowski’s two-story home in northwest Cape Coral.

With four children, her family had plenty of bears to spare.

She had seen the idea of putting teddy bears in windows so families with children could go on a bear hunt during walks.

She shared it with her Coral Lakes neighbors and loaned out some bears for their windows. There’s a bear in your window

Driveway moments

What’s a birthday without a party for a kid?

Jenn and John Robinson had planned a pool party for their son Robert’s 10th birthday on March 18. There were 592 water balloons at the ready.

But a week before his birthday, the family began social distancing. They stowed away the balloons. Perhaps they could throw a halfbirthday party in September instead?

The past few weeks have been tough for Robert and his sister Leah, 8.

“Both kids miss their friends tremendously,” Jenn Robinson said.

The pull for connection propelled a plan to distribute 60-some pieces of chalk to roughly 20 homes throughout their Jefferson Park neighborhood in Fort Myers.

She and her son hopped on their bikes and dropped off a few pieces of chalk to each house, even with neighbors they didn’t typically talk with or ones without kids.

Through social media, where she saw the idea, she suggested neighbors write encouraging messages on driveways and sidewalks.

Her kids designed a hopscotch. They wrote: “You are amazing.” “Welcome.”

By that evening, neighbors began drawing. More followed.

One chalked an image of the fish Dory with the message: “Just keep swimming.”

“If u can’t find the sunshine, be the sunshine,” said another.

A man placed cardboard beneath his knees and set to work on a heart that resembled a masterful tattoo. Across it, he sketched: “Hope.”

Earlier this week, there was another birthday in the neighborhood.

It was a friend of Robert and Leah.

They chalked messages in her driveway.

“Happy 9th B-day.” “Hope it’s a great day.”

From the front porch, the girl watched with a smile.