Handing Out Hearts for #make1000give1000

Friends, with your help, we collected 4,011 handmade hearts for Hearts Need Art (and raised $1600 in matching donations)! On Friday, May 19, we started the process of distributing those hearts to hospital patients and caregivers in two of the 11 hospitals Hearts Need Art serves. I flew to San Antonio, Texas so I could be part of this incredibly special event, and I wanted to share a few photos with you so you could see the joy these little hearts are bringing.

We started at Methodist Northwest Hospital with our wagon full of hearts. We began on the fifth floor, then worked our way down, sharing them with every patient, nurse, and doctor we saw.

I wish you could have been there. I wish you could have seen the way each person’s countenance changed when we offered them a heart. Their faces lit up and their smiles were contagious. There was so much joy. We wished each patient well and let them know that someone was thinking about them, sending them love and hope. We thanked each staff member for what they do.

A little gesture truly can go a long way. Each person had the opportunity to choose a heart they loved. Some got very excited about the hearts that doubled as heat packs. Others wanted keychains, pins, and charms for their badge reels. Some chose hearts that could sit on their bedside table or desk and others loved the double hearts they could hang over a doorknob or car mirror. There were veterans who were touched by the plush hearts made from Army fabric. Everyone found a heart that seemed to be just for them.

After we had “heart bombed” Northwest, we grabbed a quick lunch and headed to a different part of the city to do it all over again at Methodist Stone Oak. As soon as we walked in the lobby, we saw a beautiful floral mural that had been painted on the windows by one of the Hearts Need Art artists as part of the services we provide. We opened up a second box overflowing with handmade hearts and got ready to share the love.

Our group included Hearts Need Art staff, board members, and volunteers who wanted to be part of this special mission. Mindy Hensen, a crafter from Texas who heard about the project and made hundreds of hearts, drove to San Antonio to join us, too! Once again, we started on the top floor and worked our way down, making sure we shared the love with everyone!

I can’t begin to put into words what it felt like after all the time we spent collecting them to actually put these hearts into the hands of patients and health care workers. My heart was (and still is) full, and I still mean what I told the team that day, “I wish I could do this every day!” If you participated in this project and contributed hearts, I cannot thank you enough. They do make a difference. The remainder of the hearts will be distributed in the other hospitals in the coming weeks, and I have no doubt that they will bring joy, hope, and encouragement to those who receive them. Thank you for using your time and your creativity to bless others in such a tangible way. Your kindness matters.

To learn more about Hearts Need Art and other ways you can support the mission of creating moments of joy, self-expression, and connection for those facing life-altering health challenges through arts engagement, advocacy, and innovation, check out heartsneedart.org.