“Healthcare Heroes” drive aims to distribute 20,000 handwritten cards and letters to Health Care Workers in South Africa to fundraise for COVID relief.
Johannesburg, South Africa (10 February 2021) – During the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, claiming countless lives of both medical personal and patients, Cardiology Cards is launching the #HealthcareHeroes appreciation drive.
In February, the month of love, we are aiming to bring encouragement to South Africa’s Health Care Workers by distributing 20,000 handwritten letters and cards of appreciation to as many of these frontline workers as possible.
South Africa’s healthcare workers continue to face daunting physical, mental and emotional exhaustion, due to Covid-19 intervention. According to Denosa, it won’t be long before all healthcare workers become patients themselves due to trauma, anxiety and depression.
“Simple acts of kindness accomplish exceedingly and abundantly good things for the human spirit,” says Benita Enoch, founder of the Durban based start-up, Cardiology Greeting Cards, South Africa’s first multilingual and culturally inclusive social sentiments brand.
Members of the public are invited to make an online donation of R10 to submit a letter in their name or R35 to donate a card.
They will also be able to include a short message of their choice and can specify which hospital or staff member they’d like to receive their card or letter. Once a donation is received, the relevant card or letter will be sorted and delivered to each hospital, provincially.
“We know these tokens serve as a tangible reminder to each healthcare worker, that they are deeply appreciated for standing on the front line of our country’s wellbeing. These are keepsakes, that will be forever cherished by the nurses, doctors and volunteers who receive them. We see these cards and letters pinned to noticeboards in the wards, acting as an ever-present beacon of encouragement. It’s something we envision a nurse or doctor taking home to their families to share in the joy of being appreciated.
Tragically, we’re losing healthcare workers in this pandemic. So, in a way, these keepsakes become part of their legacy, too” says Enoch.
Cardiology will be using the proceeds to aid in COVID-19 relief efforts.
“The economic damage suffered by households in South Africa is immeasurable. Families are starving from retrenchments; people are dying without access to healthcare. We’ll be getting behind those who have risen to the call to bring dignity back to homes. Ordinary citizens doing extraordinary things with what resources they have, speaks to our heart.”
Since the beginning of lockdown in South Africa, until December 2020, a total of 7 891 public sector healthcare heroes were infected with the coronavirus. There are no official statistics for how many in the private sector have been infected and succumbed to the virus.
Members of the public can participate in the campaign by donating R10 to submit a letter or R35 to send a card. Delivery to any hospital, in KZN, during this pilot period is free. The campaign will end on 28 February 2021.
“Appreciation builds the human spirit, and that’s our mission. We are hoping this movement will resonate with South Africans and that they will propel it to become a national effort and include other essential services as well,” says Enoch.
Proceeds from this drive will be donated to COVID-19 relief programs. For more info, click here.
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