Alexandra Hudson

Opinion contributor

The already severe economic and social costs of the coronavirus pandemic continue to mount. But thankfully, citizens and businesses across the United States have stepped forward to help one another in this extraordinary time of uncertainty and need.

No government is capable of managing an emergency of this scale alone, and public leaders rely (rightly) on the private sector to help meet the needs of displaced workers, students and the elderly.

From Miami to Seattle, Boston to San Diego, many Americans have answered the call to fill the gaps in their communities. Here are a few examples:

►To facilitate distance learning during school closures, Zoom is offering schools free versions of its teleconferencing software. Spectrum, Verizon, AT&T and Comcast are offering free Wi-Fi to K-12 and college students who lack access. Coursera, an online learning platform, had made its courses free to universities. Scholastic has launched a “Learn at Home” website that has free, daily courses for millions of students (preschool through high school).

►Enterprise Rent-A-Car eliminated its fee for underage drivers to help college students get home in the wake of campus closures, and U-Haul is offering 30 days of free storage to college students.

►Medium Rare, a restaurant in Washington, D.C., is delivering free meals to seniors in self-quarantine. In Louisville, Kentucky, a new nonprofit, the COVID-19 Match program, pairs healthy adults with the elderly to help them during the crisis.

►As restaurants across the country close their dining rooms, customers have stepped up to help workers who've lost hours and income. Numerous crowd-sourced relief funds have been set up to help food service workers pay their bills. And stories continue to pop up about diners leaving extraordinary tips — such as the couple in Houston who left $9,400 for one restaurant's kitchen and service staff.

►In Indianapolis, Colts owner Jim Irsay pledged $1 million for a local food bank, which already has seen a surge in demand from hungry and suddenly out-of-work Americans. Irsay also challenged Central Indiana residents to a $200,000 match. In less than 24 hours, they not only met the challenge but gave nearly $100,000 more.

Medical professionals honored

►Individuals and organizations are also making life a bit easier for medical professionals who've been called to make extraordinary personal sacrifices in this pandemic. The owner of Bellman Oil Co. in Bremen, Indiana, is offering free gasoline to medical personnel. Sweetgreen, a fast casual restaurant with locations across the country, is serving free meals to health care workers.

These examples — and there are many, many more — highlight an important facet of what makes us Americans: We rise to the occasion and meet the needs of our fellow citizens, a tendency that Alexis de Tocqueville praised in 1835 as the “spirit of association” that made America exceptional.

Small acts add up to major service

Because the crisis is evolving so rapidly, we can't rely only on government actions to mitigate the damage. Civilization is held together by the small, cumulative decisions people make to help their fellow citizens. Alone, such actions may seem minor. In the aggregate, they make an enormous difference.

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Philosopher Adam Smith distinguished between justice and beneficence. Justice is the bare minimum we owe to others, an obligation to do no harm. Today, this means staying home during the quarantine and not potentially infecting others.

But justice is about mere survival. To flourish, we need beneficence — the obligation we have to do good for others.

It is a tumultuous time, but we should recognize and celebrate our vibrant ecosystem of civic dynamism that is dedicated to promoting the common good.

Alexandra Hudson is an Indianapolis-based writer, a 2019 Novak Fellow and a Young Voices contributor. Follow her on Twitter: @LexiOHudson