Hero Appreciation
Theme song: Vin Diesel- Everyday Superhero
Our last theme for 2020-21 is community helpers.
Heroes are all around us, many behind the scenes. Without them, our society would come to a crashing halt. Especially during this pandemic crisis, they are on the frontlines holding everything together. These heroes are medical, emergency, essential, and education workers. What can we do to thank our heroes?
My friend’s husband works in the medical industry. He is constantly rushing around for an 8 to 12 hour shift. He doesn’t even have time for a short lunch break. Sometimes, one of his patients gives him a snack to eat or even lunch. His wife tells me that he always comes home and mentions that the patient made his day. Consider bringing a basket of snacks and drinks to your local hospital for the medical workers to have on the go. This is a great gift of appreciation for any of our other heroes, too. Read more about community helpers in our very own community: May 2021 CECPTA Magazine
Some other general ideas include gift cards to food and drink places so that our heroes can get refueled when they have a break, other gift cards to places most people shop (like Target, Walmart, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles, etc.), handwritten thank you cards, pens/candy/both in a mug, flowers and chocolate, and our very own CECPTA Domino’s BOGO pizza card. Who doesn’t like free pizza?
Here are some field-specific ideas.
Medical workers:
Medical workers include doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other people who work in hospitals or clinics. These people help save lives on a daily basis. They are the ones we turn to when we are sick or injured. How can we show them our appreciation?
We can write personal thank you notes. These really mean a lot to doctors, nurses, and other medical workers.
Here is an ebook all about showing support and gratitude for medical workers.
Some ideas for nurse appreciation gifts:
Some ideas for doctor appreciation gifts:
Emergency workers (first responders like firefighters and police officers and paramedics):
Emergency workers are the first ones on the scene of an accident. They often risk their lives to save others. How can we show them our appreciation and thank them for the brave things they do every day?
We can write thank you notes and deliver them to where they work, a fire station, a police station, the hospital, etc. Even our children can make some thank you notes by drawing a picture of appreciation. We can sign their names to the picture and add a “Thank you for all you do!” if they are not yet writing.
Here are 95 examples of real thank you notes to first responders (and an example of what one person, even just a high schooler, can accomplish when it comes to expressing gratitude).
We can also write general thank you notes to be put in care pouches sent to first responders throughout the nation.
Recently, the Carrollton Early Childhood PTA hosted a Firefighter Appreciation Playdate where everyone brought food to give to the firefighters.
Some ideas for firefighter appreciation gifts (and their loved ones):
Some ideas for police officer appreciation gifts:
Some ideas for paramedic appreciation gifts:
Essential workers:
Essential workers are grocery store clerks, postal workers, delivery people, food industry workers, home service contractors, etc. They are the ones who keep everything going on a daily basis. Without them, we wouldn’t have access to food and other essential things.
Once again, we can write thank you notes, giving them to the grocery clerk during checkout, handing them to the food worker in the window of a fast food restaurant, having them ready to give when a package is delivered or a service is rendered, and bringing them to a post office to distribute. Also, if it is allowed, consider giving a cash tip. Every penny counts.
Examples of thank you cards for essential workers.
Recently, I handed out some of the CECPTA Domino’s BOGO pizza cards to essential workers. I really enjoyed seeing the surprise and appreciation in their faces. They always gave me a hearty thank you. Like I said before, who doesn’t like a free pizza?
Education workers (teachers, administrators, tutors, etc.):
See our previous blog article on how to show teachers and other educators our heartfelt appreciation: Thanks, Teach!
With all of these wonderful ways to show appreciation to our medical workers, emergency workers, and essential workers, why not pick one and carry it out? Studies show that expressing gratefulness is not only good for them but also for you. Here’s to gratitude!
Theme song for our “average, ordinary, everyday superheroes” with Marvel characters this time: Everyday Superhero | MCU (Smashmouth) | Hosanna Creative
About the Author
Faith is a mom of two, who resides in Carrollton, TX with her husband Allen and her two kids. She wasn’t born in Texas, but she got here as fast as she could at the tender age of four. She has a professional background in Math Education and taught high school math at Winfree Academy before getting married to her wonderful husband and becoming a “stay-at-home” mom who does anything but stay at home. She has a son in the PURPLE playgroup and a daughter in both the RED and the GREEN playgroups. She enjoys spending time with God and with her husband and kids, reading (both alone and to her kids), playing board games, playing tennis, figure skating, practicing her ninja-skills, and being outdoors.
