The acts of kindness we’re bearing witness to these days are flickers of light in a tough time: a customer offering to pay for a scheduled haircut he can’t make it to, neighbors checking in or offering to get groceries for those who can’t venture out.

Looking out for one another has been the norm here in Chicago long before the coronavirus was declared a pandemic and many of us hunkered down in our homes. When news came of the virus’s development in Wuhan, China, Chicagoans organized Chinatown restaurant crawls and called on one another to support the neighborhood’s Asian-owned businesses.


Like the rest of the world, Chicagoland is making its way through this, one day at a time.

Along with the latest news updates and a running list of Chicago-area closings and cancellations, the Tribune is taking a look at how our day-to-day lives are changing.


Here are the latest updates Friday on how we’re living in the time of COVID-19:

4:36: Acts of kindness in the age of coronavirus

In times of trouble, it can be more difficult than ever to stay positive. But as coronavirus sweeps through countries, people across the world are unifying to take care of one another. Funds are being raised, groceries are being delivered and, most importantly, kindness and compassion are being shown. If you’re in need of a smile — and we all are — here are a few stories that should do the trick. — Aaliyah Gibson

3:55 p.m.: A Bon Jovi scream-along is just the thing to connect folks isolated by coronavirus, via cheese.

You have heard it, and scoffed as Jon Bon Jovi bellows “Oooohhh, we’re halfway there.” But the sheer ubiquity of those few cheeseball minutes can also unite us. Or so Rebecca Kell and Jenni Spinner think. They will be hosting a “Chicago-Wide Window Sing-A-Long,” inspired by the European moments of coronavirus isolation ameliorated, just for a bit, by neighbors getting “together” to sing out of their windows, to and with each other.

“Part of it is just five minutes of not thinking about all of the horribleness of why we’re singing,” says Kell. “But there’s also a carefreeness about singing a cheesy song at the top of your lungs. It’s kind of slumber party-like."

So “Livin’ on A Prayer” by Bon Jovi it is as on Saturday, from 7 to 7:05 p.m. Kell, Spinner and thousands of others will belt out their best karaoke versions of the hair-rock classic. Kell, a Rogers Park resident, isn’t sure how many people will be singing. The number of people who have RSVP’d has cleared 1,700, and she talks about people in Wisconsin who will be singing, even a man “somewhere in South America.”

“I was kinda shocked when it hit 200,” Kell says. “It’s global in a weird way that I cannot believe.”

Will there be more? No promises, but Kell says that, “I guess we can renew it with a different, ridiculous, cheesy anthem next week.”

You can download the lyrics here, and then visit the Spotify link for the classic rocker and let loose.

Update: The number of people who have RSVP’d to the event now exceeds 6,000. Radio station The Drive (97.1 FM) will change its playlist so that “Livin’ on A Prayer” starts at exactly 7 p.m. You can join in via live stream, if so inclined.

— Kevin Williams

3:47 p.m.: Coronavirus is keeping people away from animal shelters, so volunteers are needed immediately to foster pets

Kittens cuddle with their mother and siblings at The Anti-Cruelty Society, Thursday, March 19, 2020. (E. Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune)

With the state of Illinois preparing for lockdown, Vicky Pasenko, co-founder and co-president of the Evanston Animal Shelter said that if the governor’s orders allow people to get to the shelter, then the staff can provide them with animals to foster.

Bridget Bittman, head of marketing at The Anti-Cruelty Society said physical adoptions and fosters will end after Friday to minimize contact with the public. Physical adoptions and fosters will take place by appointment Friday at the shelter’s River North location until 7 p.m.


The South Loop PetSmart location is also open Friday with puppies and cats for adoption.

“We will have virtual training sessions for fosters who were already signed up. Those who have completed foster orientation, can pick up the pets through curbside pickup in River North,” said Bittman.

Read more here.

3:24 p.m.: Marriage proposal outside Edward Hospital a bright spot amid tense circumstances

Bryan Goshorn, 42, surprises Juliette Blondis, 49, an nurse at Edward Hospital in Naperville, with a marriage proposal on the front lawn of the hospital. Blondis is a clinical Leader of Edward Hospital’s Pulmonary Medicine Unit, which is responsible for treating COVID-19 patients. The couple live together in Geneva. (Edward Hospital)

In the midst of the growing coronavirus pandemic, love managed to sneak a little joy into Edward Hospital in this week.

Former Naperville resident Bryan Goshorn proposed to his nurse girlfriend Juliette Blondis outside the Naperville hospital at the start of her shift Thursday.

Because the hospital is not allowing visitors inside, Blondis walked downstairs and out of the lobby where she found Goshorn waiting for her with a bouquet of flowers.

Get the rest of the story here.

10:56 a.m.: Split-shifting and other hacks for working from home while parenting

Vanessa Jackson, 38, of Maywood teaches her daughters Maricin, 9 and Cataleya, 7, from home during the coronavirus. To learn more about different paintings, they went to the Art Institute of Chicago's online gallery to study different types of portraits and then used their iPads to take pictures of each other in compositions similar to the paintings. (Calvin Jackson)

Even though her husband created a daily schedule for their kids with dedicated activities ranging from singing and dancing to tablet time, it proved harder than either expected.

“My laptop has seen parts of my house it’s never seen before,” said Laura Ott, 36, of Mundelein. “I worked out of my daughter’s playpen the other day. Today I took a Skype call from my walk-in closet. I reviewed emails from my laundry room since quiet parts of the house are not easy to come by.”

Here’s how Ott and other parents are juggling their new work-life-school balance. —Dawn Reiss

9:53 a.m.: Chicago artists livestreaming ‘quarantine concerts,’ providing a connection while isolated

Chicago’s Own Piano Man Band performs in a livestream concert at the Arcada Theatre on March 15. (Stephanie Johnson / HANDOUT)

If an uninitiated viewer stumbled upon singer Vera Bowser’s livestream Sunday evening, they would have been surprised by what they heard: Opera music, its glass-shattering sounds normally reserved for domed ceilings and concert halls, had shrunk to fit the confines of a living room and YouTube screen.

Bowser, along with Musical Chairs Studio instructor and singer Leah Rockweit, singer Eddie Brennan and musicians Josh Quinn, Chris Hinkley and Tony Bittner, engineered the concert in part to replace a canceled live show.


“Society as a whole always looks to the arts to soothe the pain of existence,” Bowser said. “All of this is going to be what we need to get each other through: seeing all the beautiful parts of life, even if it’s through a screen.”


Read more here.

7 a.m.: For Chicago-area arts students, remote learning is necessary, but there are many challenges

When it became clear that DePaul’s Theatre School would no longer be able to hold classes in person after the novel coronavirus, Chair of Theatre Studies Coya Paz was looking for suggestions on how to accomplish the unprecedented: moving an inherently communal, visceral medium online.

Since then, the ideas have flowed fast and loose: radio plays, an increase in playwriting courses, even a class that incorporates Dungeons & Dragons. If you asked Paz last week, she would have said that theater was a fundamentally live art. But because that answer has changed by necessity, the questions change, too.

“It goes back to this question of, either we think our work matters or it doesn’t. And if we think it matters, it matters now as much as it did last week,” Paz said.

Read more here.

6 a.m.: In the coronavirus era, we’ll get by with a little help from our friends — and from strangers

Owner Lourdes Duran fills a bottle with homemade margarita mix at Cesar's Killer Margaritas restaurant Thursday, March 19, 2020, in Chicago. The restaurant is giving away excess food to employees and selling homemade drink mixes. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

Acts of kindness are being posted on social media and sparking hashtags like #COVIDKindness; videos of people distancing themselves and yet still showing camaraderie exist, and stories of kind deeds are also prevalent. Self-isolation is not stopping the mindset of: “He ain’t heavy, he’s my brother.”

“As a nonagenarian, and a member of the most vulnerable group in the current health crisis, I am the beneficiary of numerous offers of assistance from neighbors, friends, and relatives,” Donald Westlake, of Wheaton, wrote in a letter to the editor. He said he’s been offered rides and people have brought him food during self-isolation. He said he’s being cautious but still trying to live a life.

“I see this as an expression of unity. People are reaching out to show that they care.”

Read more here.

5 a.m.: Craft beer purveyors offering curbside pickup, brew delivery

With tap and tasting rooms closed, some have set up makeshift drive-thru pickup areas, and others even started offering home delivery of suds.

Steve Miller, owner of Hailstorm Brewing in Tinley Park, said he expects that business will increase as the coronavirus situation lingers on.

“We’re going to have to take it day by day,” he said. “We are well stocked and have plenty of beer for all that need it.”

Miller said local operations like his make fresh beer, such as the popular IPAs, on site, and you can taste the difference. He said some beer on store shelves can lose its aroma and vibrancy three to six months after production.

Along with cans for sale, Miller also is filling crowlers (32-ounce cans) and growlers (64-ounce bottles) with fresh brew from the tap.

Read more here.

Thursday, March 19

4:32 p.m.: Missing the Chicago Flower & Garden Show? Get blooms to go with City Grange pop-up

After the Chicago Flower & Garden show was canceled, event producer Tony Abruscato teamed up with longtime friend and City Grange owner LaManda joy to launch a pop-up sale of blooms that would have been part of the event's opulent displays. (City Grange)

If you’ve ever wandered through the Chicago Flower & Garden Show and wondered how many flowers it takes to craft the verdant displays, the answer is thousands.

And those thousands of flowers were suddenly left without purpose when, along with most other events in the city, the show was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

So together with the nonprofit Get Growing Foundation, which produces the event, Lincoln Square-based garden center City Grange is looking for new homes for the buds with a special pop-up sale Friday through Monday.

Customers can order ahead for pick up and delivery, or shop in person. City Grange owner LaManda Joy said there will be extra cleaning and social distance precautions taken, and a portion of the pop-up sales will go to the foundation.

Joy, who said her year-old garden center lost an anticipated $25,000 in sales generated at the Flower & Garden marketplace, said she felt for her close friend Tony Abruscato, the foundation’s founder and event producer.

“Our (loss) is a tiny fraction compared to what Tony is losing,” she said.

Six-packs of flowers, spring bulbs in compostable pots and flowering azaleas are among the $25 offerings, although additional options are also available for pre-order.

“We couldn’t let all these plants die, especially when people need so much hope right now,” Joy said. “Plants and flowers give people hope, and helping each other out gives people hope.” —Ariel Cheung

2:58 p.m.: Shoebox guitars and kiddie concerts can help kids stay occupied

With Chicago Public Schools and other districts shuttered across the state, parents are finding themselves suddenly acting as teachers, even as many of them are working from home.

As you once again navigate the three Rs, parents, here are a few free online things to tap into with kids at home. —Alison Bowen

2:04 p.m.: Now closed, Brookfield Zoo is ‘Bringing the Zoo to You’

Although Brookfield Zoo is closed to the public through April 30, the zoo is offering a new way for people of all ages to enjoy the animals through educational Facebook Live sessions.

Animal care specialists will answer viewer questions and feature one or more of the zoo’s animals. The sessions will take place on weekdays at 11 a.m. on the zoo’s Facebook page until the zoo reopens.

Thursday’s lesson? Casper the leucistic ball python demonstrates a snake’s ability to camouflage itself. Check it out below. —Kasondra Van Treek


1:46 p.m.: Cast is locked up together at Annoyance Theatre to create a video show in 10 days

Like every other theater in Chicago, the Annoyance has closed its doors. But unlike those other theaters, they’ve closed themselves inside it, starting Wednesday night.

And they have cameras so virtual audience members can watch a livestream of the entire creative process as the team of eight — including executive producer Jennifer Estlin and artistic director Mick Napier — go about the task of building a full show from the ground up while effectively in self-imposed lockdown.

Read more here.

11:43 a.m.: A Lincoln Park high schooler’s beautiful idea to help hungry students, battered restaurants during coronavirus shutdown

Lincoln Park High School junior Jessica Tansey has launched a campaign that she hopes will help her classmates whose families struggle with food insecurity — and, at the same time, her neighborhood restaurants battered by the coronavirus pandemic.

She calls it A Meal Today, A Meal Tomorrow, and it works like this: You purchase a gift card at a nearby restaurant, and the restaurant agrees to donate a second gift card to Lincoln Park High School, which will then be given to a school family in need.

Jessica Tansey, a junior at Lincoln Park High School is trying to launch a campaign to benefit both restaurant owners and families in need during the coronavirus crisis. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Larger restaurant chains may be able to commit to matching the gift cards dollar-for-dollar, and smaller restaurants could donate a gift card worth a percentage of the one you purchase.

“If we can connect restaurants and students with one solution, maybe it can make a difference for everybody,” Tansey told me. “I want to get all of us thinking about how to bring communities together to support each other during rough times.”

Read more here.

11:05 a.m.: Working from home? Send us your photos

So many of us are working from home, and if you’re like us, you’ve been wondering what it looks like inside your co-workers’ places. Maybe you’ve already been trading photos of your home office, or your kitchen table, or a selfie lounging on the sofa.

We want to see them all. Send us your working from home photos — the beautifully designed home office, the kitchen table piled high with breakfast dishes, the patient kitty waiting by his dish for the ninth meal of the day — and we’ll post them for all to enjoy. — Kasondra Van Treeck and Stephanie Reynolds

9 a.m.: Anxiety, guilt and Trader Joe’s: Day in the life of coronavirus through the diaries of 4 Chicagoans and suburbanites

Denae Wilkins sit at home with her dog Lincoln Wednesday in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago. (Erin Hooley / Chicago Tribune)

About 350 years ago in London, someone named “H.F.” started a journal that tracked how the bubonic plague was changing his life and the lives of everyone around him. “Journal of the Plague Year,” published 50 years after those notes were taken, is still unnerving.

So, with that in mind, we asked a handful of people across the Chicago area to keep diaries of their thoughts, hopes, fears and observations on the ways the coronavirus pandemic was impacting their lives. We asked them to take their notes across a single day, from a Glen Ellyn history teacher worrying about a sick nephew, to a suburban village president navigating the financial impact the pandemic will have on the village’s budget. —Christopher Borrelli

7:15 a.m.: More than 70 people turned out for virtual dance party

The Chicago offshoot of Dance Dance Party Party took its twice weekly event online Wednesday night, and the group said it was blown away by the response. Dancers logged on to the Zoom video conference and blasted a shared Spotify playlist as they got their groove on.

Join them at 4 p.m. Sunday for another go, this time hosted by the Cleveland chapter. —Ariel Cheung

6 a.m.: As day cares shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, Chicago-area parents must juggle child care and working from home.

With schools and day cares shutting down to quell the spread of the disease, and most offices closed, parents are juggling remote work and child-rearing.

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“Before it was, ‘Oh my God, that’s so unprofessional to have your kids screaming in the background,’” said River North resident Beth Bond. “Now everyone is in the same boat.”

At day cares throughout the Chicago area, the decision to close is not being taken lightly. The state told schools to shut down, but gave no such directive to day cares. Some remain open, knowing their clients are employed in health care fields and must continue going to work. Others have closed and are providing parents with activities for their kids, or recording videos for students to watch.

The hardest part of all this?

“It’s the unknown,” said Nook Daycare regional manager Mandy Doy. “How long is it going to last? It’s the inconsistency for the children, because we know they thrive on the routine that we provide them.” —Ally Marotti

Wednesday, March 18