Who are your COVID-19 Hometown Heroes? The Star-Telegram wants to tell their stories.

I hope y’all are safe at this difficult time as we continue to take on and rebound from COVID-19.

The coronavirus pandemic has taken its toll in many ways: on human life and health, jobs and the economy, people’s moods and mental health, family, religion, politics — and much more.

This is an easy time to feel scared and hopeless. But amid it all, Fort Worth, Tarrant County and North Texas are full of unsung heroes who have risen to this challenge.

• Parents and guardians have stepped up to be on duty as parents, friends, educators, and employees — all at once as they worked from home.
  
  
• Grocery workers, truck drivers, manufacturers, delivery drivers and many more have played integral parts in our supply chain.
• Local charities, businesses and other associations have stepped up to offer support to other businesses or to raise money and distribute supplies.
• Hospital workers and other healthcare personnel, first responders and elected leaders have worked selflessly to keep us safe and protect our families.

But many of these stories go untold. That’s why the Fort Worth Star-Telegram and Lockheed Martin have teamed up to shed light on some of these heroes and their stories over the next 28 weeks through a series called Hometown Heroes.

Beginning next Sunday, and for the following 27 weeks, we’ll feature a different hero, nominated by you, with a story in print and online. And as a show of community support, Lockheed Martin has made it possible for each of the featured Hometown Heroes to receive $1,000, which can be used to address personal financial challenges created by COVID-19 or donated to the charity of their choice.

But first we need your nominations. Please go to star-telegram.com/nominate to nominate a hero in your community who you think has a story that needs to be told. It could be a neighbor, employee, co-worker, first responder, healthcare worker, teacher, store clerk or pastor — anyone who has been a positive influence during this difficult time.

You’ll be asked to give us your name and contact information, the name and contact information of the person you’re nominating and a bit more about that person.

If you don’t have access to the Internet, you may mail that information to our editor, Steve Coffman, at Fort Worth Star-Telegram, PO Box 1870, Fort Worth, TX 76101.

This year will forever be remembered for this pandemic, but the spirit across North Texas has been remarkable to watch — and you can feel our hope returning.

Through it all, heroism has never left North Texas.

Ryan Mote is the publisher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

This story was originally published May 24, 2020 at 5:00 AM.