FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM JULY 30, 2020 • THE QUEENS COURIER 33
Kevin O’Connor, CEO of BNB
Bank, said he has been impressed
with “the cooperation and
coordination of eff orts to assist
those in need. Th e easiest place
for me to see it was our own BNB
team, which rallied over the course
of a month to help 4,000 Long
Island businesses obtain PPP
funding. It was another in a
long line of examples of the
compassion and tenacity of
Long Islanders when faced
with adversity to pull
together.” (
Our New York
Family Editor
Donna Duarte-
Ladd admitted
it’s tough to be a
mom and remote
writer/editor while
working from
home, but cherishes
the time together
with her energetic
two boys.
And Zach Gewelb,
the editor of our
Queens media
outlets, explained
how impressed he has
been with the amount of
compassion he has seen as our
team reports on the many acts of
kindness during the pandemic.
Victoria’s
DIARY
Victoria
SCHNEPSYUNIS
vschneps@gmail.com
tweet me @vschneps
Finding the silver lining
during these diffi cult times
Since the COVID-19 pandemic
hit, life has changed
for me in so many ways
— both big and small. But in
times like this, I remember what
my mom used to say: “From
something bad, good will come!”
I read and sadly hear every
day the pain of the pandemic,
whether it be the terror of losing
a loved one or a business
owner’s dream now in shambles.
But I also see how my life has
changed and feel better knowing
that there are good things that
have come from this frightening
time.
I’ve thought about
how these last few
months must have a
silver lining — we
just have to look for
it! Th ere have certainly
been some
positives to take
away from this, and
I asked friends, family
and colleagues to
share their feelings.
My
grandson Sam
Broner works for
Microsoft and he said his
work has taken on a new
meaning.
“I help people collaborate on
the internet and suddenly
I’m not just helpful — my
work is necessary,”
he said.
Our
amNewYork
Metro Deputy
Editor Hazel Shahgholi
had a beautiful, healthy
baby boy Finn Ian
Shahgholi, during
the pandemic!
City Councilman Donovan
Richards, the Democratic nominee for
Queens borough president, said he has
seen the “World’s Borough” come together
like never before.
“I’ve witnessed Queens residents band
together during the most painful times in
our city’s history. From feeding the hungry
to consoling those who’ve lost loved ones,
my faith in humanity has been renewed.”
My heart truly swelled with joy when I
asked my 9-year-old granddaughter Addy
what good has come from the last few months.
With a glowing smile on her face, she said, “I
got to spend more time with my cousins!”
It was a real bonus that my son Josh and
his family moved out of Brooklyn and rented
a house right near me. For me, having family
so close is the shiniest silver lining in these
unique times.
My darlings living
nearby is my silver
lining to the pandemic.
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