BURLINGTON, N.C. — Deborah Lambeth wasn't sure her plan would work but she knew she had to try.
She walked her street taping tiny packets to her neighbor's mailboxes. Each packet had string, a single yellow balloon and a printed request.
She wasn't sure it would work until she looked outside her window the next day.
"As you can see, the neighborhood is awash with yellow," said Lambeth.
Many of her neighbors tied those yellow balloons to their mailboxes along Trail One in Burlington.
"[It shows] that we're all in this together and we're all trying to stay positive out here," said neighbor Debbie May, "and I thought it was really awesome that somebody took the initiative to say hey, we need to do something."
More and more of us are retreating into our homes in the name of social distancing but Lambeth said that doesn't mean we can't be together.
She is a self-described hugger and helper who said she loves to see people happy. She, like many of us, is adjusting to the new reality we face during the coronavirus pandemic.
"I'm trying to counter the fear," said Lambeth, "Cause we need happy. It's a sad and scary situation for a lot of people."
Deborah Lambeth says she plans to take more of those balloon kits to other streets in her neighborhood. She packs and carries each one while wearing gloves.
Each card with instructions on what to do with the balloon also lists resources like the CDC so that people can stay informed.
Her hope is that other neighborhoods in Burlington will start putting the balloons out too.