Mike Smith co-founded the Names Project AIDS Memorial Quilt in 1987. Now living through his second pandemic, Smith is finding ways to help out amid COVID-19 -- and to inspire others to do the same. He shares his Brief But Spectacular take on turning grief into action.

During the pandemic, we've profiled front-line workers whose jobs have been deemed essential. One such employee is Savoya Taylor, a line-worker for ComEd, the utility that powers Chicago. She's the company’s first female overhead electrician -- and now she’s training one of her daughters to follow the same path. Taylor shares her Brief But Spectacular take on empowering her family and community.

Dr. Diane Meier is the director of the Center to Advance Palliative Care in New York City. As a palliative care specialist, she has an intimate view of how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting patients and their loved ones. Meier shares her Brief But Spectacular take on showing compassion during COVID-19.

Throughout the pandemic, the NewsHour has highlighted courageous front-line workers who are keeping the country running in the face of unprecedented hardship. Bridget Rhodes is one of these essential workers, a 911 dispatcher in Portland, Oregon, who has offered a calm voice to many callers suffering with COVID-19. Rhodes offers her Brief But Spectacular take on her critical role.