UK Colleges of Nursing, Agriculture launch Heart-2-Heart letter-writing campaign
The University of Kentucky Colleges of Nursing and Agriculture, Food, and Environment are partnering to launch “Heart-2-Heart,” a letter-writing campaign to show compassion and support to healthcare workers battling COVID-19.
“Day-in and day-out, healthcare workers risk their own lives to provide care to patients fighting COVID-19. The weight of that risk combined with witnessing constant suffering is enough to take a toll even on the strongest among us,” Dr. Camille Burnett, professor at UK College of Nursing and founder of Heart-2-Heart. “The Heart-2-Heart campaign is a way for us to compassionately say, we see you and are with you. It is a simple act of kindness to help replenish and give strength to our healthcare workers by turning the tables and offering them care through messages of gratitude and hope.”
“4-H members in Kentucky are staying healthy at home but are looking for ways to support friends, family, and their communities,” said Dr. Mark Mains, Assistant Director for 4-H Youth Development. “This partnership allows our youth to have an active way to support frontline healthcare workers by providing valuable moral support and encouragement. 4-H members are connected to medical professionals and both are able to benefit.”
Both colleges are calling on their networks to write letters, make cards, draw pictures or share any messages that offer comfort and hope to help carry our healthcare workers through the difficult shifts, days and weeks ahead.
The general public is also invited to participate. Guidelines include:
- First names and last initial only
- No last names and no addresses
- Can identify your occupation or another qualifier (i.e. UK nursing student, 5th-grade student, teacher, UK employee, small business owner)
- Can identify your county and state
Beginning Friday, April 24, people can drop off their Heart-2-Heart letters, cards, etc. at designated boxes outside these Lexington locations.
- Fayette County Extension Office, 1140 Harry Sykes Way
- Meadowthorpe Elementary, 710 N Forbes Rd.
- Sandersville Elementary, 3025 Sandersville Rd.
- Athens-Chilesburg Elementary, 930 Jouett Creek Rd.
- Tates Creek Middle School, 1105 Centre Pkwy
- James Lane Allen Elementary, 1901 Appomattox Rd
- Southern Elementary, 340 Wilson Downing Rd. (behind the building by the NTI packet drop off)
- Deep Springs Elementary, 1919 Brynell Dr.
- Consolidated Baptist Church, 1625 Russel Cave Rd.
The letters will be picked up from all locations each Friday and then mailed out to acute care hospitals/sites throughout Kentucky and across the United States.
Outside of Kentucky, letters will be sent to sites hit especially hard by COVID-19. Some of those locations include Jamaica Hospital Medical Center in New York, University Medical Center New Orleans in Louisiana and TCF Regional Medical Center in Michigan.
“The College of Nursing is proud to partner with the College of Agriculture, Food and Environment for a heartfelt project that we hope will have a meaningful impact on the lives of healthcare workers,” said Dr. Burnett. “By partnering with CAFE, we’re able to tap-in to an enormous outreach network that is willing and ready to offer support to those fighting COVID-19 on the frontlines.”
The CON and CAFE soon plan to expand the Heart-2-Heart campaign outreach beyond Fayette County through county offices of the UK Cooperative Extension Service outside of Fayette County.
The Heart-2-Heart campaign will continue for as long as support is needed for healthcare workers battling COVID-19.
For questions or more information on how to can participate in Heart-2-Heart, email heart2heart@uky.edu.
###
