The neighborhoods of El Paso have taken part in many social distanced activities in an attempt to give people hope. Amidst the uncertainty in the workplace and society at large, a unified community is important to uphold morale and public safety.

Because of all the spare time people have now, walks around the neighborhood while maintaining a distance have become a venue to get out of the house and exercise. This led to a lot of interactive  sidewalk displays  organized over social media platforms (mainly Facebook) to boost morale and help parents occupy their children.

Another popular form of soothing restless children is for people to hide a teddy bear in the window of their house, which the children will try to find as they walk past. The Country Club/Montoya neighborhood has gotten creative with this practice, hiding bears in unlikely places all over the house.

For those who can’t celebrate their birthday traditionally, loved ones have been organizing a socially distanced alternative. Everyone comes in their decorated cars to drive by and yell “Happy Birthday!”

To light our way through the pandemic, some households put up their christmas lights early, and some simply place a candle outside their door, letting their neighbors know they’re okay and inspiring them to weather the storm. 

It’s been hard for people to cope with the changes brought about by COVID-19, but these practices serve as a reminder that life goes on, and friends will always find a way to encourage each other and adapt to a ‘new normal’.