While this pandemic presently has everyone struggling to make ends meet, finding ways to stay occupied at home, and keeping the whole family healthy and happy while complying with strict coronavirus restrictions, there are still individuals and companies who remind us that it isn’t all that bad.
These are the people whose efforts prove instrumental in gently nudging the world forward with hope.
For instance, you have essential workers who take great risks daily just to keep things moving like clockwork for everybody else.
Then you have corporations who commit to supporting frontliners and families in need through various initiatives.
Let’s not forget unexpected partnerships too, like Shutterfly and their team of young, thoughtful artists.
Recently, the photography and image sharing company came up with a campaign called #CreateThanks to extend gratitude towards today’s essential workers.
The campaign encouraged kids to create thank you cards, drawings, and other works of art for essential workers, and share their masterpieces online by uploading a photo on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #CreateThanks.
What the artists of these drawings didn’t know was that their work would be displayed on giant billboards for frontline workers and the rest of the world to see.
New York City may still be adjusting to the new normal and carefully transitioning towards a reopening, but Shutterfly’s initiative and the kids’ creativity played a role in keeping commuters’ heads up and giving them a reason to smile and remain optimistic.
Shutterfly purposely chose Grand Central Stations and Port Authority to display these uplifting messages – places that see heavy traffic daily because of commuters going to and fro.
One of the chosen artworks was by 7-year-old Kelli-Rose Simpson Forde from Long Island. Her drawing was inspired by her grandfather, a New York City transit worker who helps make sure employees could still commute to work daily despite the coronavirus outbreak.
Kelli-Rose and her family were definitely in shock when Shutterfly unveiled the 7-year-old’s work of art at 8th Avenue and 42nd Street.
Then you have 5-year-old Xavier Garcia from Long Island who wanted to thank frontline workers for taking care of the sick. His work was inspired by his aunt, a nurse’s assistant at Mount Sinai South Nassau.
“I made this picture to thank the doctors and nurses for being superheroes.”
4-year-old Amarry London Alhassan from Brooklyn explains that he wanted to share a heart and a helping hand for healthcare workers everywhere, especially his mother, a physician assistant.
It’s refreshing to see colorful works of art dedicated to frontline workers emblazoned across billboards in New York City. These chaotic, challenging times have definitely been impactful on one’s physical, mental, and emotional health.
The campaign proves that creativity, teamwork, and an attitude of gratitude can make life a little easier for everyone else.
As if the #CreateThanks campaign wasn’t awesome enough, Shutterfly continues to say thank you to healthcare workers by distributing care packages to medical staff at Mount Sinai and Elmhurst Hospitals. The company has also given over $750,000 worth of donations.
Kindness, gratitude, and consideration are definitely key in surviving these tough times.
Thanks to Shutterfly and all the children who took time to create wonderful works of art for essential workers, we are reminded that it doesn’t always take much to see the silver lining and spread positivity.
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