When the pandemic hit Montgomery County, local millennial mayors had to rise to the challenge and deal with the growing number of issues in their towns, writes Sandy Hingston for Philadelphia Magazine.

Bridgeport Mayor Mark Barbee felt the effects of the pandemic on his life when he was laid off from his job as a waiter. For him, like for so many of his constituents, it was a first.

“I’ve never been on unemployment before,” he says. “I didn’t want to file. But there’s no running from it.”

Barbee was open about his unemployment from the start and after he learned how to navigate the state’s complicated unemployment compensation system, he started to help others in Bridgeport do the same.

Meanwhile, Jenna Antoniewicz, mayor of Royersford, first took inventory of the town’s resources before ensuring to get information out to people with the help of social media. For those without internet, she printed 1,000 copies of a resource guide and made them available throughout the town.

Similarly, Pottstown mayor Stephanie Henrick used her social media savvy and organizational prowess to map out her role during the pandemic.

Read more about the Millennial Mayors at Philadelphia Magazine by clicking here.

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