“How are you doing?”
That’s what Freddie keeps asking.
All week long, he’s been checking in with me not just to see how I’m doing but to invite me to lead what we should be doing as a team to support our community after the tragic mass shooting at Covenant.
That matters to me because a few months ago I reached out to Freddie and have since joined the campaign as communications director.
This week, the Covenant tragedy hit close to home. My mom has worked there since it opened in 2001. A quirk of fate certainly saved her this week.
Freddie suspended the campaign on Monday and made sure I, and others, had the space to focus on family and that the team had the space to support one another and the community however they chose.
Ever since, as we have put anything out into the world about our response and what Freddie was doing personally, he has asked how I felt about it, if it was appropriate and if it was the right time. Because he knows that it’s personal. And that I’m figuring out how to support my family and grieve like the rest of the city.
It’s hard to think about a campaign in a moment like this, but it is easy to think about the change we need to see in our city. Tragic weeks like this remind me of how important it is to do what we can to keep Nashville a great place to raise a family. And I’ve admired the way Freddie has led in this moment.
I offered to send an email to invite you to do what you can to help. It doesn’t have to be money. But if you’re so inclined, the Community Foundation is raising money to support the Covenant community.
So as we ease back into the campaign, I hope you’ll continue this important conversation with us.
This is no longer just political to me; it’s personal. The kind souls that work at Covenant represent the best of us. I believe in the work Freddie is doing and in our ability – together – to make this city better than we found it
With hope,
Alex Apple
Communications Director
Freddie O'Connell for Mayor
