Vancouverties have been stepping outside each night to cheer for health care workers and first responders from their balconies, backyards, and doorsteps. Now, they can share their collective appreciation for all essential workers in a new, virtual way.
Launched by Vancouverites Clara, Oscar, and Oscar, the friends wanted to create a simple platform for locals to show their gratitutide to to essential workers.
"Staying at Home for You" is a website where people share thank yous or encouraging personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The site notes that, "Your stories help bring more positivity into our community, and more importantly, to encourage the essential workers that are keeping our city running -- whoever that may be."
Contributors are not required to leave a name, but they must fill out a city, country as well as one note of thanks or a touching personal story.
"During this time where we are under quarantine, we want to show the essential workers out there that they are appreciated. That is why we made a simple website where people can show their appreciation by posting thank you notes," note the project creators.
"The essential workers are risking their lives for us, so rather than only staying at home for them, I think showing them that they are appreciated is the least we can do. I understand that the media highlights appreciation for health workers, but for those of us who also want to encourage other essential workers, such as bus drivers, and grocery clerks, I think this is a good way to reach out to them."
Have a look at a few messages from people who have extended their gratitude.
To my Uber Eats Driver: "Thank you for working during the covid-19 pandemic. One time I ordered food, I saw that you instantly hand sanitized your hands after the delivery. Thank you for staying clean and helping me satisify my food cravings during this time"
- Oscar K. Canada
To my Mom!: "Thank you for making my meals while I am home!"
- Anonymous
To the cashier I met today: "Thank you so much for just simply wearing a smile today. I know that it must be difficult to work during this time. You put yourself in risk, but you allow people like me to be able to still buy groceries. Thank you."
- Anonymous
To Thank you to Canadian Government: "I want to thank you Canada government In an epidemic disaster facing the whole world, I would like to thank Canada Prime Minister Trudeau and his team for quickly setting up many measures to benefit the people, so that the general public affected by the epidemic can get a basic life in fear need. Although we may face huge deficits, we believe that the most important thing is the stability of the people's hearts in great danger. Thanks also to the opposition party for cooperating with the federal government's measures so that all decisions can be made quickly and effectively."
- Mei K
Fire Chief Darrell Reid shared a video on March 29 to his Twitter account of his neighbours adding a unique twist to the 7 p.m. ritual: the Canadian national anthem.
Now, a Vancouverite has created a massive chalk mural to send gratitude to essential workers. Included in the colourful roundup is a doctor, a grocery store clerk, a police officer, a post officer, and a nurse.
Posted on Reddit by yu/allimum on April, the cheerful image has been upvoted 239 times. A few comments note that the offering is 'cute' and made them 'smile,' while others mention that the artist is rather talented.
While TransLink has implemented a number of changes to protect its employees as well as the public at large, transit operators and attendants put themselves at risk to provide vital transportation to people across the Lower Mainland. Have a look at the experiences of three front line transit workers HERE.
In order to celebrate everyone on the front lines, TransLink has played an announcement on its Expo, Millennium and Canada Line trains at 7 p.m. sharp. The announcement played for the first time on March 27.
