Two Red Deer women are hoping their desire to “spread positivity and sunshine” among busy health-care workers during the pandemic will catch on.
On Saturday, Tracy Jackson and Jan Wareham delivered 19 gift baskets loaded with food and other items to various Red Deer hospital departments.
The feedback was heartwarming, said Jackson, who heard “Everybody appreciated it very much and said it was a real boost to their day.”
Tired of “all the negative talk” about the COVID-19, Jackson resolved to brighten the day for health-care workers, who have been working hard as viral cases have risen in the community.
“I have a daughter and a daughter-in-law who are registered nurses. I’ve heard lots of stories about how tough it is right now,” she said.
Jackson and Wareham discussed the idea, and the two women recruited some of their colleagues and local businesses to support filling gift baskets for hospital staff.
In the end, 19 baskets, loaded with more than $1,100 worth of purchased and donated goods, were donated to various hospital departments.
“We had pre-packaged, individually-wrapped snacks, coffee pots, teas, hot chocolate, granola, trail mix, beef jerky,” as well as hand cream, vitamin C packets and stationary, recalled Jackson.
She was thrilled to get so much buy-in for the project from Red Deer citizens and businesses.
Jackson now hopes that other central Albertans will pick up on the idea and do something nice for the health care workers in their community.