Gratitude: It’s in the Bag!

Sometime in mid-May, Job Becerra, a VNSNY physical therapist coordinator who covers Manhattan’s West Side, started discovering handwritten notes of thanks in his PPE kits. “It was a complete surprise,” he says. “I’ve always felt appreciated at VNSNY, but this response really brings it to a truly personal level.”

The initiative is being spearheaded by Peggy O’Neill-Taber, Director, Customer Care Center, and Linda Smith, Associate Director of Patient Safety and Clinical Risk Management. They got the idea to do the thank you cards when Alexis Nelis, the daughter of Donna Nelis, Vice President of Hospice Operations, was in one day to volunteer and began slipping appreciative Post-it notes into the PPE bags.

Peggy saw the Post-it notes and thought, what a great idea!  While Peggy and Linda initially wanted to keep the program under wraps (“We wanted it to be about the providers, who are the true rock stars—not ourselves,” says Linda), there was such a heartfelt response to the thank you cards, among recipients and volunteers alike, that Peggy and Linda have agreed to let Frontline get the word out.

“Each card is different,” says Peggy. “The important thing is that every card be handwritten and express the gratitude we all feel toward our frontline workers. We even learned that Girl Scout troops are giving out badges for helping us, which is pretty special!”

The volunteers crafting the cards run the gamut from adults to young children. “It’s a great way to get the whole family together, which also broadens the scope for participation,” notes Linda. The cards don’t have to be fancy—2×3 index cards are a perfect size—and they can be as ornate or as simple as their creators choose to make them. “Last weekend I got something from a coloring book—a picture of a superhero, clearly colored by a small child—as well as a simple “I love you” card written by a seven-year-old,” says Linda. “The spirit in each of them was every bit as heartfelt.”

“We owe so much to Diana Vargas from Hospice, who’s now supervising the supply room and collects all the cards that people mail to us, and Gail Gongaware, a CHOICE Education Manager who volunteers her time to place the cards in the bags,” adds Peggy. “The enthusiasm we’re getting from across VNSNY is amazing.”

Volunteers Needed!

Whether you can create five cards or 500, we’d love your help! Please send your cards to:

Diana Vargas, PPE Supervisor VNSNY, 245 East 41st Street, Ground Floor, New York, NY 10017

Providers: Did you find a card in your PPE bag?

We’d love to see it! Share a pic on social media with hashtag #gratitudevnsny

Here is a slideshow of some of the cards: