In an effort to support local health care workers, Xavier High School sophomore Mitchell Wollen is spreading appreciation with his project, “Hearts for Healthcare Helpers” (HHH).
The project began in early April, soon after the number of Covid-19 patients began to surge in Connecticut, increasing demand for medical assistance. Wollen, who usually keeps himself busy as a competitive swimmer, wanted to make use of his free time during quarantine by coming up with ways to help his community.
Wollen said, “I just felt like there’s a lot of people struggling out there right now, and I needed a way to spread some positivity. So, my family and I were kind of brainstorming when we came up with the idea of these hearts.”
Wollen decided to sell wooden heart-shaped signs that featured a hand-painted “Thank You” — an expression of gratitude to the brave essential workers during this pandemic. The signs cost $15, with an additional $5 for delivery, and all proceeds are used to provide food and beverages for local healthcare workers.
Wollen has worked on this project for over 100 hours, and, with the help of family and friends, he has created and sold more than 350 signs to date. As of April 21, he has raised more than $3,500. Wollen has used some of these profits to deliver packaged snacks to nursing homes around Wallingford, such as Masonic, Regency House, Genesis, and Skyview. Wanting to do even more, he has also made plans to provide free coffee to the healthcare professionals working several hours a day at Gaylord Hospital.
To spread the word about HHH, Wollen and his family post- ed an explanation of the project on Facebook. Gradually, as more users liked and shared the post, more people became aware of the project and donated. Eventually, the project caught the attention of local news channel FOX 61, which led to statewide attention. “We didn’t really expect it to blow up like it did,” said Wollen.
Wollen plans to continue making signs, raising money, and spreading gratitude until quarantine orders are lifted. “A lot of people are struggling immensely during these challenging times, and spreading positivity is a really good thing to do,” Wollen said. “It will help keep these people afloat and give them the courage to keep pushing on [and] see an end in sight… It’s good to spread love and donate.”
