Sophia San Filippo

Managing Editor & SEO Lead

Based in New York City, Sophia San Filippo has worked with Love What Matters as a lead editor and content curator since early 2019 and has acted as Managing Editor since early 2021. She is a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Binghamton University who holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature, Creative Writing, and Women, Gender, & Sexuality Studies. She is passionate about personal storytelling and creating a positive space in media to better the lives of others. On a typical day you can find her rocking out at her local concert venue, admiring nature, or baking her latest kitchen experiment.

‘Can you move out of the way?’ Everyone in the store stopped what they were doing, looked up. It was the first voice I’d heard in 20 minutes.’: Woman details ‘awkward’ shopping experience during pandemic, ‘This has changed us’

“Suddenly I could see people’s eyes. Almost all had masks on. No one was chitchatting or smiling. Was that a cough? I swear I just heard a cough? Yup. Glare. She should not be out in public right now? There were no couples, no one leisurely strolling around with a cup of Starbucks in hand. Not today.”

‘I thought it was allergies. It started with a dry cough and the slightest tickle in my throat. I didn’t think twice.’: Woman explains how to navigate coronavirus diagnosis while battling anxiety

“It was a waiting game to see if I’d need to seek medical care. My fever broke, and I was starting to feel better. Then, a new wave of symptoms came. It had moved into my chest for the first time, and it felt like there were a ton of bricks lying on me. The trajectory was a roller coaster. “

‘The doctor passed along his last words: ‘I love my grandkids.’ It was unreal how fast the virus took him.’: Woman shares ode to father lost to coronavirus, ‘I will make him proud’

“Just 2 days before, we were laughing and making plans for summer. He was excited about his stimulus check because he wanted to buy the grandkids something nice, and a portable oxygen machine so he could travel to visit us. It was always his dream to come here and see the ocean for the first time. He spoke of it every day. Now, I had to tell my children their Pap, their best friend, was gone.”

‘Please. I have nowhere to quarantine. I just need something to eat.’ This man didn’t want a mask or hand sanitizer. He just wanted food.’: Woman urges ‘don’t forget about our homeless brothers and sisters’

“Today I broke quarantine for the first time to go to the ATM. From first glance, I could tell he did not have a home. His clothes were tattered and soaked. This man didn’t want hand sanitizer. He didn’t want toilet paper, gloves, or even a mask. He just wanted food. Something we’ve all stocked up on ourselves. My heart broke for him.”

‘He’s taking my phone away. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.’ I barely hit send before it was ripped away and sent through the wall.’: Domestic abuse survivor says ‘I am taking my power back’

“I hid in the corner in a fetal position, trying to protect myself. I texted my best friend in a panic. ‘I just need someone to know I’m not dead.’ I barely hit send before my phone was sent through the wall. After I escaped barely alive, my dad gave my abuser a place to live on his property.”

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