Paper hearts spreads the love in a time of coronavirus
COOS BAY – Hundreds of paper hearts have been popping up in the Coos Bay and North Bend Department of Human Services offices.
“I sent an email around asking if staff wanted to make some paper hearts over the weekend to display in their cubicles or in a window. I thought we should do something to show hope to our community – like a Wave of Hope. We’re always looking for ways to boost morale and to help our community,” said Jessica Patterson, Child Welfare protective service worker in Coos County.
Staff responded by making several hundred cut-out paper hearts. They put them up in the windows and throughout two DHS buildings which house Aging and People with Disabilities, Child Welfare, Vocational Rehabilitation and Self-Sufficiency staff. The DHS staff was contributing to a community-wide effort of putting up paper hearts in businesses and homes started by two city council members from Coos Bay and North Bend to let people know that they are not alone in this time of COVID-19, Patterson said.
“You should see it. There’s a rainbow of colored hearts throughout the building. I love it,” Patterson said.
One of the buildings is next to a walking trail and a local park. People walking by can see the hearts in the DHS office windows.
“It’s kind of a nice reminder to our community that we’re all in this together,” Patterson said.
For more information about the community-wide paper heart project in Coos County, check out this article from The World newspaper.