When we launched the Cheers to Our Heroes Collection on International Women's Day, we had no idea just how many heroes we would see pop up in the coming weeks. As we continue in the world's current health crisis, feelings of uncertainty and fear have been met by stories of 'everyday' heroes stepping up to help their communities in inspiring and innovative ways. From those in the medical industry to those helping small businesses to neighbors getting groceries for each other and so many more; we wanted to hear YOUR stories.

We received so many inspiring submissions from near and far—stories of family members, friends, coworkers and acquaintances being heroic in their own ways. Every story was so heartwarming that we wanted to share them all with our community. Meet the heroes of today, the heroes we need, below!

Click on each of the heroes below to read about their acts of heroism!

A big thanks to everyone doing their part to make this world a little better and a little brighter. You are the heroes we need today!

A Note From the CEO

"It has been so uplifting and inspiring to hear from many of our followers with their tributes to the heroes of today; nurses, doctors, first responders, kids making masks and many more. While our situation at Seattle Chocolate is not as dire or dangerous, I have been moved and impressed with my team’s commitment, attitude and work ethic during these uncertain times. Small companies have been severely impacted by the shut-down of businesses and the Work from Home mandate. I’m afraid that many of them will not come through this. We shut down our two retail stores and our office staff has been working from home since the middle of March. Our retail team pivoted and offered curbside delivery and personal shopping. They delivered chocolate to customers who wanted to brighten their tenants and customers day with a gift of chocolate. And they delivered chocolate to hospitals and front line workers. Our production staff came to work every day to keep things moving and ensure that we had adequate inventory for grocery and Drugstore orders. They staggered the production line to stay 6 feet apart. They donned masks and gloves and had their temperature checked every day before entering the building. Our QC and safety team took their temperature behind welding shields, wiped down every surface on the hour, and set safety protocols to ensure their safety. I never heard a single complaint and everyone stayed positive and supportive of each other. It’s in times like this, that we see what our team is made of and mine is solid gold."

- Jean Thompson, Owner + CEO of Seattle Chocolate Co.

Read more about Seattle Chocolate Company's COVID-19 response here.