Leif Sondeen, 6, hangs out next to a blocked car road after Tropical Storm Isaias hit his neighborhood in West Hartford. Leif was out on the blocked road riding a bike with his friends. "He was saying how it was exciting not to have cars," said his mom, Danielle Sondeen.
Chris Vanderpool digs into a trash can to find a way to spend time. Vanderpool divorced his ex-husband who physically abused him and eventually broke his arm. "I don't think I'll ever regain the person that I was before that," Vanderpool said. Dumpster diving has been his own way to deal with depression and make extra money in the past three years.
Taking care of his mom is his only reason to wake up the next morning, Vanderpool said. "She's pretty much my world."
From left, Jaxon Holm, 4, Lane Coldewey, 4, Kylie Torres, 6, and Ellasyn Stumfoll, 6, pledge allegiance to the flag during the grand opening ceremony of the Livestock Show on Thursday at the Victoria Community Center.
Taylor Matula, 14, does a peekaboo with an ear of her pig Denna as she closes her eyes to take a nap after dinner on Wednesday. Taylor, 14, started raising the pig for the upcoming Livestock Show. "It taught me a lot of our responsibility," Taylor said. "Knowing that you have to care these things like crazy and knowing that you have to get up at five in the morning." She now treats Denna like a close friend, hugging and kissing it.
Night to Shine
For Shayla Rudd, the prom is a nerve-racking challenge. Because of her autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder, even her family doesn’t know how she will respond to the abundant stimuli at the event. A day before the prom, Shayla is even bothered by the sound of her mom’s swallowing. How can she handle the frenzy of a teen prom? To lessen anxiety, Shayla’s mom walks her through the details of the schedule three days in a row before the prom, from food to the setup of the dance. Hair and makeup are done over many hours with breaks at home so that Shayla can slowly build up to the peak moment at the prom. Her whole family and friends all devote their time to her preparation. They want to make sure that the prom is a memory of success that will help her grow into an independent adult. “I think the best way to learn is to let her try and do it. And, then, she succeeds. Then she understands that she can do things without having support from her family” Shayla’s dad, Kelvin, said.
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From left, Shayla's mom, Willishia Rudd, Jessica Kolle and her daughter, Kynlee, 6, help Shayla, 16, try on a dress for the Night to Shine prom event. Jessica nursed Shayla for six years since when she was six years old and couldn't talk or eat without a feeding tube. Their families have stayed close ever since. "We are like some of their family here," Jessica said.
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Shayla practices how to pose with her mom on the night before the prom while her dad watches. The poster that her long-time friend, Kaden Kolle, 16, brought her house with flowers hangs on the wall. "I wanted to give her the whole experience," Kaden said. Kaden and Shayla share many childhood memories because his mother nursed Shayla when she was younger. "She's like a sister to me," Kaden said.
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Shayla and her dad, Kelvin, say hello to their neighbor before the prom. "She really wanted to [go to the prom]," said Shayla's mom, Willishia Rudd. "We always encourage at least [to] try something first. Give it a couple of times." Shayla's neighbors and friends visited her house on the prom day to celebrate the event.
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Kaden gives Shayla a letter and a teddy bear as a gift for the prom. The letter writes, "Shayla, thank you so much for being an inspiration and such an amazing person overall. You have been such a blessing to me in more ways than I can count. Let's have fun tonight!"
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Shayla clenches her fists because she feels nervous on the way to the prom with her long-time friend, Kaden. For Shayla, the prom is not just an exciting event. It is a nerve-racking challenge.
Because of her autism, ADHD, and sensory processing disorder, even her family doesn’t know how she will respond to the abundant stimuli at the event. Her whole family and friends devote their time to her preparation. They want to make sure that the prom is a memory of success that will help her grow into an independent adult.
“When she’s a grown-up and we’re no longer in her life and she fails, then she’s failing on her own,” Shayla’s dad, Kelvin, said. “I think the best way to learn is to let her try and do it. And, then, she succeeds. Then she understands that she can do things without having support from her family all the time.”
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Shayla feels nervous and stops walking toward the red carpet. Kaden bends over and whispers to convince her. "I'm just trying to be there and be that rock for her," Kaden said. "Someone that can explain to her how things are and how she can overcome that. I just hope that throughout the years, I've given her a peace of mind that she's always got somebody there for her and she's got somebody to talk to."
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Kaden and Shayla walk on the red carpet after the limousine ride at the Victoria West High School. As a surprise gift, Shayla's parents asked the organizer to turn on the song, "Look What God Gave Her," which Shayla said she wanted to listen when walking to school. Shayla couldn't stop smiling at the song and people cheering for her.
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Shayla talks and laughs with her friends at the sensory room with a calm environment. After rocking her head up and down to the music a few times at the dance hall, Shayla would head back to the sensory room. Kaden followed her to wherever Shayla wanted to go to calm herself down. With her sensory processing disorder, sound and movement around her often become overwhelming.
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Shayla and her mom, Willishia, dance to the music. Shayla continued to dance to music throughout her ride back home. "It's just a door," Willishia said about a new experience like the prom for Shayla. "You gotta walk to the door. We don't know what's behind the door until we open it up."
Adaptable Creature
Many people I meet during the pandemic say that they are frustrated, anxious and worried. That often seems true. But as I talk further and observe their behavior, I realize that people still adapt. Because their resources are limited and their behavior could pose a health risk, people think twice before taking action. ‘Is it really important for me?’ They narrow down their values, and adapt to the current pandemic to cherish their essential values.
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Corie Tracey, a single mom of two daughters, borrowed a drill she’s never used before to assemble desks for her daughters, Anya, 7, in the photo, and Juliet, 5. The girls will go to school twice a week and do distance learning at home for the rest days.
Assembling wasn’t as easy as Corie expected, so she ended up video calling her dad and cousin. “One of the great things about kids is that they're super adaptable. They go along with change really well,” Corie said. “It’s more the parents who are like, ‘Oh my god, what are we doing?’”
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Ellison High, 15, left, and her sister, Madison, 18, has an online ballet class in their living room. "To me, it's my sport," Ellison said. "You have to find ways to keep strengthening those muscles we aren't using so that when we do get to go back to the studio, we can perform in our best like we never left," Ellison said.
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Students of the University of Connecticut, from left, Aaron Ky, Christopher Connor, John Pienkos and Nicholas Cruz, play Spikeball on the week to move into the dorm. The university dramatically reduced the number of people living on campus this semester by not offering housing to out-of-state students who are taking classes remotely. It contributed to the most dire financial situation in its history. The budget deficit could skyrocket if the university is forced to shut down again because of the pandemic, officials said.
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Taj Hardy, 7, second from left, has a break from his mask with his family during the Juneteenth protest. Taj's dad, Warren, far left, didn't mind bringing his two sons to the large crowd despite the ongoing pandemic. "They need to know what's going on," Warren said. "Even though they're young, they can be affected by what's going on."
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From left, Terri Balboa, Kaitlyn Hernandez, 8, and Trina Hernandez try to check on Balboa's mom, Lupe Cantu, 88, through the gaps between the window blinds of the Courtyard Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. "I can see you better when I'm on my knees here," Trina said as Cantu worried about her knees. "Don't hurt yourself," Cantu said. "Don't cry grandma. It's okay. I'm taking care of myself," Trina said.
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Rosanna Quinones lost her job as a dental hygienist during the pandemic and $600 she was getting in federal unemployment benefits ended last week. She's been paying rent for her 26-year-old son, who was abused as a child and struggles with mental health and addiction issues. "I'm concerned that he could be homeless again without some assistance," Quinones said.
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Tony Gugliotti, 82, left, has run his barbershop, Magic Shears, in Waterbury since 1975. He had to close the barbershop for more than two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. "It's the longest I ever shut down," Gugliotti said. "I missed the people." After reopening his barbershop on June 1, he works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is fully booked until the end of July. He lets in only one person by appointment only.
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Getting on a flight, I could feel the direct impact of coronavirus on individuals, including myself. My afternoon flight had to be moved at the last minute with limited flying time options. I couldn’t give a good-bye hug to my friends who I wouldn’t meet for a while. There was no line for the security, which I’ve never experienced. The airport was so empty that it felt surreal. The 3.5 hours in the fully occupied airplane felt long and insecure.
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Sen. Rob C. Sampson, R-Wolcott, raises objections to the absentee ballot in a State Capitol room with many empty seats. Meeting for the first time since COVID-19 forced the closure of the State Capitol in March, the Connecticut Senate voted 35-1 Tuesday for final passage of legislation allowing no-excuse absentee ballot voting as a public health precaution in November.
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Lawmakers as viewed through a plexiglass barrier while waiting to speak on the absentee ballot measure during the special session. For the first time in the history of the General Assembly, floor votes were cast remotely. Legislators cast votes from their offices unless they wanted to debate the bills on the agenda.
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Connecticut delegates watch the virtual Democratic National Convention broadcast on the screen at the infield of Dunkin' Donuts Park in Hartford. The COVID pandemic is blamed for the deaths of 4,458 people in Connecticut, a number equal to nearly three-quarters of the 6,127 seats in Dunkin’ Donuts. Nationwide, the death toll is 173,000.
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Staff members look at their manager through the plexiglass barrier while learning safety and health protocols before the Connecticut Science Center reopens. Over 500 signs and stickers were installed throughout the building to remind visitors of coronavirus rules. Online timed ticket reservations are required for all visitors, and visitors over two years old should wear masks.
God Bless You
In the religious city of Victoria, Texas, attending a religious service is as important as having a meal. "To me, when you don't come to church, you don't get fed,” said Sherie Hill, one of the Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church members in Victoria. “It is like my soul is getting fed." The coronavirus pandemic can’t stop them from having the “meal.” Religious leaders learn the new technology, while members get on their truck, turn on the radio and honk to shout out “God Bless You.”
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Wade Powell, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church, preaches towards empty church seats on Sunday. In reaction to COVID-19, the church decided to give a service online instead. "We want to continue to offer the opportunity to worship and feel connected with each other," Powell said.
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Ryan Jenson, associate pastor at the First United Methodist Church, wears a flipflop while recording a part of the church service to post online. Only his upper body was recorded in the video.
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Pastor Mike Whitfield leads the Easter service that's broadcast live on Facebook and radio at Branded Cowboy Church. It was the church's first time to do a drive-in service. "They're missing coming to church. They want to be here and participate in worship," said Whitfield. "We just wanted to give everybody an opportunity to get out because everybody's kind of locked down, caged up."
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Judy King reads the Bible following the church service transmitted through the radio in the parking lot of Branded Cowboy Church. About thirty families joined the Easter service in their cars. The service began with the church members honking at the same time after counting to three.
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Allison Greene, 6, calls the church's signature turkey named Thanksgiving while her parents and brother listen to the Facebook live-streaming Easter service on their truck. Allison's mom, Lindsay, said that having the service in the parking lot feels a little weird and she misses having an in-person service, but agreed with her husband that it is much better than not having any service.
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Church members listen to the sermon in their cars during the Sunday drive-in service at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Weesatche. "We need to be physically distant, but we are socially connected," Pastor Kevin Karnei said. "The church, or any organizations, we just have to find ways to be connected."
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Andrei Mednis opens the Communion lid during the drive-in service in the parking lot of Branded Cowboy Church. He and his wife, Rose Mednis, watched the Facebook live-streaming screen and listened to the radio in their car to feel like being in the church building. "How blessed I am to be here," said Rose.
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Ralph Salazar, a sound technician of the Branded Cowboy Church, has an important role of making sure that the service is broadcasted well to the members praying in their cars. He went back and forth at the church building to monitor the sound level.
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As a celebration of Eid al-Fitr, Huda Nusayr, 6, far right, receives her food while Mohammad, 4, far left, and Adam Ramadan, 8, wait for theirs at the Victoria Islamic Center.
Muslims usually get together to celebrate the end of Ramadan. It was replaced with a drive-thru gathering where members received food and small gifts.
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On Eid al-Fitr, from left, Hansa Saif, 17, Zoha Qadri and Rama Hamoudah, 18, take a selfie while keeping the distance. Eid al-Fitr is a Muslim holiday to celebrate the end of the month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan.
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Bethlehem Missionary Baptist Church members have an in-person service for the first time after closing the church about one and a half months due to the pandemic. "I've been missing my church," said Sherie Hill, one of the church members. "To me, when you don't come to church, you don't get fed. It (coming to the church again) is like my soul is getting fed." The service was shortened and lasted for about 30 minutes without music playing on the piano.
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Jessica, left, and Andrew Pena pray for healthcare workers in their car in the parking lot of DeTar Hospital Navarro. Along with other Riverside Church members, they served meals for nurses, respiratory specialists on the covid-19 floor and ER workers. Healthcare workers in the hospital could listen to the pray through a conference call and the prayers' honk at the end.