Life can feel bleak in the age of COVID-19.
Businesses are operating under severe restrictions, and families across the country are plagued by unemployment. Not to mention, millions have caught the virus, the death toll is rising, and health care facilities are struggling to keep up.
That’s why Baptist Health is finding ways to be grateful during a crisis. It’s accomplishing this by focusing on the men and women who work hard to keep communities healthy.
“Doctors, nurses, and frontline care providers do what they always do – answer the call,” the not-for-profit health care system writes on Facebook. “The families of our health workers and our communities have also rallied, donating critical supplies and emergency funds despite their own financial hardships. Through it all, gratitude has driven us, gratitude has shaped us, and gratitude has connected us.”
In May, Baptist Health started a social media campaign to highlight these heroes as the economy began to reopen. Called “Project Gratitude,” the effort now features a variety of medical professionals and other staff who work in Baptist Health locations throughout Kentucky and southern Indiana.
Each Project Gratitude post includes photos of nurses, doctors, and other personnel set against bright, joyful colors. Next to those images, the posts list the names and titles of those featured and their reflections about why gratitude is essential for everyday life.
“Project Gratitude is about action,” several captions read. “It’s about giving hope to the future through donations, sharing your stories or creating new ones, and learning about how gratitude changes us and our communities.”
Those who like any Baptist Health location on Facebook or follow the hashtag #JoinProjectGratitude will find Project Gratitude’s colorful content. They might even learn that Registered Nurse Julie Miller uses a thankfulness journal to maintain a positive outlook on life. Or, they could discover that the COVID-19 crisis has helped Registered Nurse Kelsey Paige Adams recognize gratitude—both in herself and others.
“Times like this can bring back a small piece of humanity to let others know you care,” Adams says in her Project Gratitude highlight. “You can always call to check in on those you love just to let them know you are thinking of them and appreciate them.”
Lora Croley is the executive director of philanthropy for the Baptist Health Foundation Paducah. She says these hope-filled stories have become innovative ways for Baptist Health donors and colleagues to connect. They have also helped promote encouraging messages during the coronavirus crisis.
“Healthcare has been in the national spotlight for months due to COVID, and as the recipient of an outpouring of support, kindness, and gratitude, we saw this as an opportunity to begin changing the narrative,” she explains.
Although Project Gratitude encourages people to think more about how they can incorporate gratitude into their lives, it also includes a few fun facts to lighten the mood.
Followers may learn that Radiation Oncologist Peter Locken loves flowers, Registered Nurse Deonne Miller can be “hilariously clumsy,” or Pulmonary and Critical Care Specialist Muhammad Iqbal plays tennis and ping pong. It’s those small tidbits of information that Croley particularly enjoys.
“The beauty of Project Gratitude has been in the connections it has allowed us to form with those we’ve featured,” she says. “Everyone has responded so favorably to this! It has been a fun conversation to have with our colleagues and has allowed us to know those quirky facts, those bits of personality that we don’t always get to see in a work setting.”
While Facebook is the best place to find these stories for now, Croley says that won’t always be the case. Baptist Health plans to expand Project Gratitude past the confines of Facebook and onto posters and, possibly, other mediums.
The campaign’s scope is also growing, she says, to include Baptist Health donors and supporters along with community members who possess a deep appreciation for gratitude. Anyone who wants to share their thoughts on thankfulness can contact Lora Croley at lora.croley@bhsi.com.
This expansion gives the average person a chance to spread hope and joy—even as the world suffers hardship. It allows communities to #JoinProjectGratitude and take action to make the world a more positive place.
