Let’s Celebrate Them, Let’s Thank Them

BY: CLAIRE KIM

As healthcare workers fight on the frontlines against the coronavirus, let’s celebrate them, let’s thank them.

Ways to show appreciation:

1. Write letters addressing doctors, nurses, or any other hospital personnel actively involved in your local hospitals, sharing a message of gratitude for their efforts during this pandemic. A short “Thank You” is fine, though, ideally, it would be nice if you put a little more thought and effort into your letters. If stuck on where or how to send your written letters, you can check out the link below: https://wordsofthanks.weebly.com/
2. Big or small, donations, if financially opportune, are a great way to directly aid hospitals. Hospitals, though seemingly enduring the demands of the pandemic, are struggling to maintain enough open facilities, hospital beds, and general equipment that are necessary for maximum efficiency in their operations. While monetary donations don’t necessarily uplift the morale of healthcare workers, they most definitely help hospitals run smoother, indirectly leading to less-frantic, less-stressed healthcare workers. If interested in donating items rather than money, KQED has written an informative piece regarding which areas specific to the Bay Area are open to such materials and which ones in particular. Here is the link: https://www.kqed.org/news/11807823/where-to-donate-n95-masks-and-other-medical-supplies-in-the-bay-area
3. Get Informed. As of recent, the New York Times has released a documentary film capturing the behind-the-scenes of what healthcare workers are doing, feeling, and experiencing. Watching this film is an exceptional way to really understand those front-liners fighting the coronavirus beyond dry news articles and statistical numbers, an opportunity to realize that these individuals are called “heroes” for a reason. Produced by New York Times Presents, the film is available for viewing on FX and Hulu and can be further explored through New York Time’s own article: https://www.nytimes.com/article/they-get-brave.html
4. Last, but certainly the most important, follow CDC guidelines. Listen to health professionals and the provisions they set in place. This is how we lower the numbers, lower the cases, and lower the number of days remaining healthcare workers have to endure.