Members of the Piedmont California Recreation Department’s older adult activity groups want to show their appreciation for the courageous work that essential services workers are providing everyone during the Coronavirus epidemic. They are encouraging others to do the same.
April Appreciation Month
Member Nancy Henn heard that people in Great Britain had gone out on their porches and balconies on March 26th and clapped in honor of their healthcare workers. People in Italy, Spain, and in other parts of the United States are also clapping, singing, and howling their appreciation. Henn wondered, why not have the Piedmont community join the chorus of clapping?
Fellow member Carol Long liked the idea, and suggested that displays of appreciation should be expanded to recognize all workers providing essential services during this time of need. In short order, Henn and Long’s kind thoughts had expanded to become “April Appreciation Month” for essential services workers.
Here’s how it could work:
Since the coronavirus crisis is likely going to continue for another month, the effort is being suggested as a daily activity for the month of April, beginning this Wednesday, April 1, and continuing for the entire month. Residents and families can go outside their homes at 8 p.m. each April night, and clap for one minute.
Set a daily reminder.
One way to make it a daily activity is to set your cell phone alarm clocks to set up a daily reminders, and then set a timer to track 60 seconds of clapping.
Let’s let it catch on.
The hope is that this expression of appreciation will catch on throughout Northern California — and, who knows — maybe all over the state — and the country. Henn said, “I hope this will catch on — I think it will lift our spirits and hopefully the spirits of our essential workers who are working so hard!”
Let’s commit ourselves to honoring those who are committed to us.
Dick Carter offered, “Participation…may be limited [at first], but we hope “April Appreciation Month” will grow through the month. This is an opportunity for us individually and collectively to make statements of our appreciation. What essential services workers are doing for us is an ongoing commitment. A full month of expressing our support may be a challenge, but we know there will be people who want to show their appreciation of essential service workers for an extended period of time.”
Reba Devine agreed, “Yes, let’s do it! If they can sing opera from the balconies of Rome, the least we can do is clap for a minute!”
This effort is being announced to other participants in the Piedmont Recreation Department’s adult activity groups and local media with the request that people spread the word through social media. For more information, please contact Dick Carter at camktgrp@comcast.net.