The spread of Coronavirus has been more pervasive in some regions than others.
In Akron, the north side of town has experienced greater spread than anywhere in the city. North Akron is the city鈥檚 , housing immigrants and refugees from Nepal, Bhutan, Iraq, Afghanistan, the Congo and many others. But one group is working to keep the virus in check.
Take a drive through the heart of North Hill and you鈥檒l find , Asian boutiques, and Italian eateries.
Immigrants contribute much to Akron鈥檚 economy. They are also at greater risk than most for exposure to coronavirus.
鈥淭hey do work in places of business where they are on the front lines, they鈥檙e more likely to take public transportation where they鈥檙e also exposed to potential COVID,鈥� said Elaine Tso, executive director of the .
Currently, Asian residents make up the largest immigrant population in the city, with many living in North Akron, zip code 44310. shows that, at more than 500, North Akron has twice as many COVID-19 cases as any other neighborhood. And 68 percent of those who tested positive are Asian.
鈥淎 lot of people just want to jump to conclusions that they don鈥檛 know better,鈥� said Katie Beck, who runs the and the .
But Beck says that鈥檚 not true - about the dangers of the virus.
鈥淢any of them do exactly what they鈥檙e supposed to do,鈥� said Summit County Public Health Commissioner Donna Skoda. "It鈥檚 just any time you鈥檙e in a close environment you鈥檙e going to increase your risk.鈥�
And, Akron immigrants often live in close, multigenerational households, Beck said.
鈥淪ome of them only have one or two workers making incomes to provide for everyone, so it鈥檚 not like they can quit or stop working,鈥� she said.
Caring for extended family is an ethos that鈥檚 been passed to the younger generation, who Beck calls 鈥渃ulture brokers.鈥�
鈥淪o they鈥檙e constantly navigating the world for their families,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e answering calls, they鈥檙e
reading legal documents they鈥檙e translating in doctor鈥檚 offices.鈥�
The , which stands for Bhutanese Response Assistance Volunteer Effort, exemplifies these values. It was launched in Columbus early in the pandemic by young Bhutanese immigrants affiliated with the nonprofit group the .
Graduate student Sudar Shan Pyakurel, heads up BRAVE Columbus and oversees chapters that have opened in other cities, including one in Akron.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a tremendous amount of work and a tremendous amount of commitment these young community leaders, and students and volunteers have shown for responding to the COVID crisis,鈥� he said.
The idea for BRAVE was to bring clarity about the virus, and to deliver food and supplies to immigrant families鈥� doors, Pyakurel said.
鈥淧eople were so overwhelmed. There was so much information they didn鈥檛 know what to do and what not to do,鈥� he said.
Pyakurel鈥榮 team also designed training for the BRAVE chapters so volunteers know exactly how to help families affected by COVID-19.
鈥淲e have to educate them, we have to give them orientation on what COVID is, what they need to do, what they don鈥檛 need to do, and also provide them with groceries, supplies and medical counseling at the same time,鈥� he said.
University of Akron engineering student Moni Kumar Bhattarai heads up . His teams take every precaution to stay safe when dropping off outside, he said.
鈥淲e get into the car and call them on the phone and we tell them 鈥榳e鈥檝e got something outside so you guys can come out and pick it up,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淪o we don鈥檛 talk to them directly.鈥�
Along with food and Tylenol, BRAVE also delivers natural health supplies.
鈥淕inger and lemon,鈥� Bhattarai said. 鈥淚t boosts the immune system, so we buy them that.鈥�
Bhattarai's team stays busy, rounding up volunteers and gathering donated supplies to help as many families as possible.
鈥淪o far 28 families are recovered and 12 to 13 are still in quarantine right now,鈥� he said.
This dedication to helping the immigrant community is no surprise to the Exchange House鈥檚 Katie Beck, who works with immigrants daily.
鈥淭he young people in their community are just so passionate and so ready to help whoever they can,鈥� she said. 鈥淭hey saw this model in Columbus and they heard about other cities doing it and they wanted to step up and help.鈥�
In keeping with that spirit, Bhattarai鈥榮 team is ready to help more people.
鈥淭his is not just for Nepalis,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e have resources. We can help other communities.鈥�
BRAVE Akron is currently .
For more information, or to volunteer, contact BRAVE Akron through its . For assistance for those affected by the virus, call the BRAVE helpline at 234-738-5598 or 234-706-9892
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