Communities and neighborhoods across America, throughout Virginia and within our city limits have been demonstrating extraordinary resilience and resolve during this unprecedented time when the coronavirus has threatened every facet of our lives.

While our daily living has been greatly impacted in one way or another, we should take this time to reflect on the importance of being compassionate and caring for one another. We should seize the opportunity to contemplate new ways to form a stronger sense of who we are as proud citizens who are determined and dedicated to move Richmond forward.

This pandemic should reiterate the necessity for us to collaborate, to work cohesively toward identifying common interests and shared goals and to discuss the desired visions that will foster and ensure healthy and prosperous living for all Richmond residents.

The idea or notion of 8th District residents as passive participants in decision making should no longer be synonymous or assigned with the 27,000 hard-working and diverse people of this district.

The 8th District Focus Group would like to encourage everyone to become more informed and engaged and to demand transfor- mative, responsive leadership in all of our elected leaders.

Please continue to practice safe measures and take necessary precautions to maintain your safety and that of your family. Our city needs you.

SHANNON GONZALEZ

Richmond

The writer is chair of the 8th District Focus Group