We will get through this together.
Dear friends,
Earlier this month, I expected this message would speak to the 550,000 people we’ve lost to COVID this year. I was reminded of the song “Seasons of Love” from the play Rent and how there are 525,600 minutes in a year. The correlation of lives lost to minutes felt poignant and unimaginable.
I expected to touch on vaccine equity and distribution and the challenges faced by our healthcare system, healthcare providers, and community partners as they sprint towards a finish line that continues to be elusive. Those challenges still exist, and your community foundation is working to support these efforts as part of our COVID-19 Response Fund.
On Monday, March 22, I received a text at 3:00 pm that read, “Active shooter in Boulder?” I read it with both alarm and disbelief. As if it said, “Is that even possible?”.
In an instant we were reminded: expectations are an illusion.
We watched in horror as the tragedy of that afternoon unfolded. We checked in on loved ones, reached out to neighbors, and struggled to find words to express the magnitude of our pain. We held victims and their families in our hearts, heard and felt the fear and trauma of survivors, and looked for ways to be of service. The Mister Rogers in all of us came alive as we began to both BE and look for the helpers.
The Community Foundation launched its Boulder County Crisis Fund the following morning. It is an effort, in partnership with the Colorado Healing Fund, the Colorado Organization for Victims Assistance, and others to address the needs of victims, families, those directly affected, and our entire community. We have received an outpouring of love and support from near and far. Our community, true to form, came together, this time in a tearful embrace.
As we process our grief, look for answers, and jump to act so that something so awful never happens again, I am reminded of The Starfish Story (an adaptation of “The Star Thrower” by Loren C. Eiseley). I both appreciate and am frustrated by this metaphor. As someone who grew up in Miami, when one dolphin beaches itself, we ask, “What’s wrong with the dolphin?” When dozens or hundreds beach themselves, we ask, “What’s wrong with the water?”
Ten cherished friends and neighbors were taken from us last week. Our entire community is suffering a collective trauma. Healing will take time. Healing is non-linear. Everything you are feeling is okay. You are not alone. Our pain is a testament to the love we have for each other and our community. We will get through this, stronger and likely changed forever, but we will get through this together. We are Boulder County. I believe in us.
In Greek, philanthropy means, “the love of humanity.” Thank you for continuing to trust us with your philanthropy, your love, as we steward it to those who need it most.
Warmly,
Tatiana Hernandez, CEO
