The Boxes That Matter

Hey! Armita, the Communications Director, here. I’m so excited to give you a rundown of everything that happened in Round 19. This delivery was one that I will always remember. We donated 100 care packages, 1,000 goggles, 3,000 respirators, and 200 3-ply masks to St. Joseph. Delaney Wong, our Volunteer Director, also joined me for this delivery! 

Hearts to Heroes has unconditional love for Heather Harwell, the Director of Major Gifts at St. Joseph (seriously, we want her to adopt us). She has been so patient and kind with us since the beginning of starting our deliveries. 

If I could describe this round in one word, it would be boxes. Not just in the literal sense (trust me, there were SO many boxes that I almost dropped this round) but also figuratively. I don’t know about you but when I think of boxes, I think of the joy of getting a package delivered that you’ve been waiting for or a surprise arrival of a subscription box. As weird as it sounds, boxes make me think of giving someone joy. Delaney and I were talking to Heather and her colleague, Viki, and one thing that Heather said to us stuck with me: “We’re not really the heroes. We’re just the middlemen who get to drop off all these wonderful boxes so that the real heroes, nurses, and doctors, can fight this well-equipped.” 

At this point, me and Delaney’s jaws dropped. I never valued boxes more. But it matters what is inside them. PPE, of course, is direly needed right now as ICU beds have maxed out in Orange County. However, hope is also direly needed. The gleaming hope in Heather and Vicky’s eyes as they talked about dropping off the boxes completed the delivery, not us. 

It’s easy to chalk it up as a lost cause while we are in the thick of this pandemic, when it feels like people don’t care. But there are boxes of hope everywhere: indescribable hope that will reassure us that the monsters under the bed are finally gone. I think it’s safe to say that I will never look at a box the same way again. 

Until next round, keep wearing your masks and washing your hands :)