Because Love Wasn’t Cancelled
Because Kindness Wasn’t Cancelled
Because Laughter Wasn’t Cancelled
Artwork Above By: Dainty Scripts
I created “Bags of Sunshine” to raise spirits and also help out front line workers at our local hospital. While in the process of trying to lift up the spirit of others I found it lifted my spirit as well.
After spending some time inside the house doing our part to “flatten the curve” and stop the spread of Novel Coronavirus the emails and text messages of cancelled and postponed events began rolling in.
I was overcome with sadness as it suddenly occurred to me all celebrations are cancelled.
The birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, weddings, and corporate events we had planned wouldn’t be taking place. My heart hurt thinking of our clients who wouldn’t be able to gather with their friends, family, and colleagues to share joy, smiles, and laughter.
I reminded myself that we are in the business of spreading happiness, we are creative, and we have some resources to share and began to brainstorm ways to make a change, even a small one to help support our community.
“Bags of Sunshine”
Very simply, these are bags filled with biodegradable balloons which were sanitized and delivered (with gloves and without contact!), meant to bring a smile to the faces of children (and in turn, their grown ups!)
We requested a $25 donation for each Bag of Sunshine and 100% of the proceeds were given to the dedicated staff at Cape Cod Hospital. We acknowledged they are working tirelessly and putting their own health at risk to keep our community healthy.
Being a conduit to this simple initiative allowed us the opportunity to say,
“we’re here, we support you, and we appreciate you.”
It sounds so simple but the amount of joy on a child’s face and the squeals of excitement when they open up a giant bag of balloons is indescribable.
Word spread about the Bags of Sunshine and a bulk of the deliveries we completed were to the residences of hospital employees who were sending the bags to their children who they couldn’t have physical contact with because of the quarantine. These brave individuals are sleeping in garages, sheds, and on sun porches to protect their families from potential infection. The “bags of sunshine” provided these front-line caregivers the opportunity to receive pictures and videos of their children expressing joy and happiness.
It was a privilege to be of service to our community in a time of need and we hope our efforts inspire others to get creative when thinking of ways to give back!
The balloons we use are 100% biodegradable and decompose at the same rate as a maple leaf!
We always give a gentle reminder to our customers about safe disposal of their balloons.
Statistics
- 540 balloons inflated
- 170 miles driven
- 2 tubs of Clorox wipes used
- 36 sets of disposal gloves used
- 24 bags delivered
- $635.00 donated
Recipients
- 2 ICU Nurse Teams
- 1 OR Team of nurses & doctors
- 7 Individual ER RNs
