Many Gather In Vehicles To Show Support For Healthcare Workers
Many Gather In Vehicles To Show Support For Healthcare Workers
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Jackie Gorski-jgorski@timesuniononline.com
Many Gather In Vehicles To Show Support For Healthcare WorkersKosciusko Community Hospital’s north parking lot filled up during Thursday night’s “Shining Lights on Healthcare.”
People were asked to shine their headlights on the hospital in support of healthcare workers during the coronavirus pandemic.
Almost everyone stayed in their cars during music and speeches and, at the end, car horns, as well as fire truck emergency sirens, sounded in support for the medical community.
“Our intent is to say to all of our nurses and the medical staff here – we appreciate you, we love you, we’re praying for you and we want you to feel lifted up,” said the Rev. John B. Lowe II, pastor at New Life Christian Church and World Outreach, Warsaw, before the rally.
Before speaking to those gathered, Lowe also spoke about what is considered essential jobs during the coronavirus epidemic.
“You see it all over Facebook now. What’s the essential jobs now. It’s not sports. It’s not your athletes that are paid several million dollars a year. It’s not your Hollywood entertainers. You know, it’s people who make a real difference every day and so these folks are doing that,” Lowe said, noting he was hoping to let the medical staff know what it really means for them to be there.
Ken Locke, director of the Greater Warsaw Ministerial Association and corps administrator of The Salvation Army in Kosciusko County, said, “Thank you all for coming here tonight and we are just overwhelmed by how many are here tonight. Kosciusko County, you always come through and we appreciate it.
“We are here as the body of Christ, in this community, we want people to know Jesus is here,” Locke said, noting “we’re going through a tough time right now.”
“God is calling us out,” Locke continued. He said the reason for the event was the medical staff and “we take them for granted.”
“We want to thank them for their service,” he said.
Claypool Fire Chief Rick Hurley said, “My whole life, I’ve been asked, ‘Why Warsaw?’ This is why Warsaw. When it comes down to it, we will be there for one another.
Hurley said it doesn’t matter what church or size of it, “when it comes down to needing prayer, the body of Christ gathers for prayer. That’s what we do. That’s how we answer trouble and trials, through prayer.”
Hurley prayed, asking God to bless state and local leaders during “this time of plague,” as well as those on the front line – medical workers, firefighters, police, EMS – “all those folks that are out there day in and day out and in contact with this evil virus.”
Lowe also led the group in a prayer, praying not only for KCH, but Parkview and all the hospitals nationwide, as well as nursing homes.
“(Nursing homes) are very vulnerable at this time. So we want to make sure we pray for them – the long-term care givers,” Lowe said, saying the medical staff will be in the group’s prayers each and every day.
Before the event happened, Kim Finch, chief nurse officer at KCH, said she went out to tell Lowe how much the event meant.
“We need the strength of God to get through the day and the nurses are really, really going 150%. Not just the nurses,” said Finch. “It’s really uplifting.”
