St. Michael's COV-AID campaign supports the frontline heros at JGH!

This spring has really proven to us all how true the sentence “Not all heroes wear capes” actually is.

All through this COVID-19 pandemic grocery store workers, janitors and other people working in the frontlines have been putting themselves in harm’s way so that the rest of us could be as safe as possible. This is, of course, especially true with healthcare professionals. We have probably all seen pictures of tired nurses and doctors and read the stories from hospitals all over the world of how much pressure their staff is constantly under. In many countries monuments have been lit up as a sign of appreciation for the healthcare professionals, and in many cities the local firefighters and police officers have lined up their cruisers to applaud, flash lights, and blast sirens to show their support for the people working in hospitals.

At St. Michael’s we also want to show our appreciation to these heroes. That is why we are proud to announce that our third “St. Michael’s COV-AID” donation of 1000 dollars goes to The Hero Project!

Coordinated by the JGH Foundation and led by JGH board members Brenda Rosenberg and Bita Cattelan, The Hero Project aims to support the doctors, nurses, and support staff at the Jewish General Hospital by providing them with meals, fruits and snacks. Every day these heroes take extra risks and work longer hours, often in challenging conditions, to offer our community around-the-clock care and to be there for the people who need them the most. For many healthcare workers this also means having to leave their own families for extended periods of time to ensure their safety.

When asked how the pandemic has changed things at the Jewish General Hospital, Valerie Manouk, the director of annual programs at the JGH, says that “When the pandemic started we had roughly 500 staff working in COVID-19 "hot zones". Now there are over 1200 staff working directly on COVID-19 cases. Many JGH staff have been sent to long term care centres to help.”

These times are extremely stressful for people working in healthcare. The hospital has to make fast decisions and offer quality care to the patients while learning more about the virus each day. The hospital staff isn’t responsible only for the physical health of their patients, but more and more, for their emotional well-being as well.

Manouk says that these heroes have gotten an overwhelming amount of support from the community. Donors have also stepped up to help raise much needed funds for, not only additional beds, gowns, and supplies, but also for additional staff, meals, and reaseach. “The front-line staff is grateful for the encouragement of the community, but they are also tired. Some have gotten sick, others are experiencing anxiety and fear”, Manouk tells us. The JGH Foundation is working hard to boost morale and to make sure that the frontline staff gets all the care and support it needs. The Hero Project has an important role in reaching this goal. The project works with a “money in, money out” -model and all the funds donated to The Hero Project go straight to feeding the heroes working in the frontlines. Our St. Michael’s COV-AID donation of 1000 dollars is enough to make sure that an entire unit, for example everyone working in the ICU or the Emergency Department, gets a healthy meal.

We invite you to join us in donating to this important cause! The same week a donation is received a nutritious meal is sent to the frontline workers, so all donations make a big difference in helping and supporting our heroes.

Make your donation at https://jghfoundation.crowdchange.co/13787 . We would appreciate it if you mentioned St. Michael’s COV-AID when making your donation - it helps us in building lasting relationships with these amazing organizations.

To learn more about The Hero Project and to see pictures and read first hand stories, and testimonials go to https://www.facebook.com/theJGHheroproject/ Stay safe, stay healthy, and love your neighbour!