Covid-19 hometown heroes: A look at the people who made a dramatic difference this past year

Across the country, millions are struggling with the medical and economic fallout of the coronavirus pandemic.

Family-owned businesses, some generations old, went out of business because aid did not make it in time. Essential frontline workers have worked tirelessly to provide care and resources while risking their own health. Working from home has taken on a new meaning itself, as parents struggle to balance their child’s education while maintaining productivity on a job. And those living alone face a daily routine of isolation. 

Vaccines have been approved for distribution and some have already been administered to health care workers, but the news remains grim. A new strain in the south of England has forced neighboring European countries to suspend travel with the U.K. Scientists are warning that holiday travel could lead to Covid-19 surges that break our medical system. 

But there are many reasons to be as hopeful as there are to be fearful, and many come in the form of local leaders around the nation. To salute those who went above and beyond during the public health and financial crisis, CNBC asked readers to nominate neighbors who have made an impact in their communities.

Here are notable home-grown heros, whose compassion and courage has made a difference in so many lives. 

A distributer getting the vaccine to rural communities 

Once the Pfizer-BIoNTech vaccine was approved, distribution centers across the U.S. went into action. The team at Morris Dickson, based in Shreveport, Louisiana, has been working around the clock to package the vaccine and distribute it to 200 rural Louisiana hospitals. The team has only three minutes to sort and load the vials which need to be stored at temperature as low as minus-80 degrees Celsius. 

“Morris Dickson is group of dedicated people, working hard every day to get us the medications that we need to deliver the much needed emergency care to the communities we serve,” wrote Chuck Burnell of Acadian Ambulance, who nominated the employees of Morris Dickson.