Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, frontline healthcare workers have been courageously taking care of our community and doing so while facing a shortage of personal protective equipment.
Kingston Glass Studio owners, Alexi and Mariel wanted to help fill this need as well as acknowledge the healthcare frontline workers’ incredible efforts. They heard about the program headed by Queen’s University medical students, where they use 3D printers to create PPE and distributing them to local medical facilities, and wanted to contribute.
They launched Hearts for Healthcare on April 14. “We felt the need to give back and thank those in our community who continue to work hard to protect us, keep us safe, and provide the essentials so that we can stay home during the pandemic,” says Mariel.
Hearts for Healthcare not only provides masks to frontline healthcare workers, it also gifts them with a uniquely designed glass heart. “With the single act of ordering a Heart for Healthcare: 100% of the donation goes towards purchasing supplies to create the various PPE needed for our healthcare workers, made by the dedicated team at 3D PPE Kingston via Queen’s University. And the heart itself is given to a frontline worker as acknowledgment, encouragement, and gratitude for all that they are doing,” explains Mariel. One heart is equal to 12 masks or 25 face shields. “To date, we have had over 240 Hearts for Healthcare ordered and over 140 have already been created and distributed to local frontline workers through various channels,” says Mariel.
Hearts can be gifted in a variety of ways. The team at Kingston Glass Studio disinfects each individual heart and can distribute them safely, donors can pick them up during curbside pickup hours: Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 am to 3 pm, or they can be shipped outside of the Kingston area for $15 flat fee.
Do you know of a place in need of more PPE or a thank you? They are open to community feedback. “We are open to community suggestions for locations that would consider receiving and distribute the hearts to their colleagues,” says Mariel.
To learn more about their efforts, check out their website and social media pages: Website: kingstonglassgallery.com, Instagram: @kingstonglassgallery, Facebook: @kingstonglassgallery
