Children send nearly 200 thank-you cards to front-line workers

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    FREMONT, Neb. (Fremont Tribune) — Children at Fremont daycares and schools brought smiles to the faces of frontline staff at Methodist Fremont Health by taking the time to thank them.

The Fremont Health Foundation received its first batch of nearly 200 cards made by students from Trinity Lutheran School and children at Fremont Children’s Academy Tuesday.

Upon receiving the cards, Fremont Health Foundation Executive Director of Development and Community Health Shawn Shanahan said the nurses became emotional.

“It was like a breath of fresh air, and it was fun to read,” she said. “They enjoyed receiving them, and as you can see with the photograph of those nurses, there’s masks on, but you can see nothing but pierced smiles from those eye expressions.”

The idea for the card-giving came after the foundation wanted to come up with a way to give appreciation to front-line staff and nurses for working during the COVID-19 pandemic, Shanahan said.

“We work with them every day, and we know how hard they’re working and how tirelessly they’re working,” she said. “We felt it was an opportunity to engage our community to give a moment of appreciation and thanks.”

Additionally, Shanahan said she wanted to engage the community in giving thanks as well.

“So I reached out to some early childhood partnerships that are running daycares or schools and asked if they would be willing to promote, support a kids’ day or a kids’ hour where the kids could make cards and appreciation and thank-you notes for the front-line staff that are working currently with our COVID patients and working hard and endlessly,” she said.

As Trinity Lutheran students from kindergarten to eighth grade made cards, Shanahan said the cards ranged from scribbles to a paragraph showing thanks and appreciation.

“Some of them even took the time to write them knowing that their moms are working here and they’re working on the floors and are part of witnessing and being part of the true medical need, and so that was pretty exciting,” she said. “All of them were full of gratitude, appreciation and acknowledgment for the hard work that the nurses and frontline staff are currently doing.”

Cards from the Fremont Children’s Academy included handprints from the children drawn into turkeys.

On Tuesday, the foundation received more than 150 cards from Trinity Lutheran and more than 20 from the Fremont Children’s Academy, which were delivered to workers at Methodist Fremont Health.

“Everyone then was like, ‘Well, what did yours say? Who was yours from?’” Shanahan said. “And so it created some excitement and positive energy also on the floor in the unit.”

With the cards, Shanahan said she feels lucky to be in a community that is able to give thanks to others.

“I think that right now, there’s a lot of sadness and negativity and uncomfortableness in our world, uncertainties that are challenging and hard for children and adults and those working in the healthcare field,” she said. “And so I think that this is another great opportunity to highlight our amazing community and how our community pulls together and helps any entity, any situation and anyone who is in need of being lifted up.”

Shanahan said the experience also gave an important lesson to students on the importance of giving back and showing appreciation.

“I just think that those are a value in today’s society,” she said. “And so I also think that it gave a moment of hope and happiness to our unit that in these times, we would welcome that every day.”

The foundation isn’t done sending cards to nurses, as Shanahan said at least four other organizations are in the process of making and sending over more.

But Shanahan said she was thankful for those who have made or are planning to make cards, and encouraged those interested in reaching out to the foundation.

“We hope that others join,” she said. “We hope that others flood our hallways with amazing cards and artwork to continue to inspire hope and opportunity to keep things moving forward.”

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