For the Frontlines

Written by CAPA JRC Reporter Kathleen Li While many of us are relaxing and enjoying our free time at home, healthcare professionals are putting their lives in danger to combat the novel coronavirus. To express gratitude to these workers, four students from Richard Montgomery High School have teamed up to create a card writing campaign, For the Frontlines. High school juniors Kathleen Li, Abby Adigun, Melody Cheng, and Sarah Molot’s campaign focuses on showing appreciation and support for healthcare professionals, utility workers, first responders, and food bank workers. The campaign leaders aim to show essential workers the endless amounts of support and gratitude they have. To do so, the four have reached out to multiple student organizations throughout Maryland to ask for their involvement. “We have contacted numerous different clubs and teams, no matter their cause,” says Li. “This is a cause that everyone can get behind.” The COVID-19 pandemic is a crisis that transcends race, language, and borders. It has brought these different student groups together. Cheng says, “The uncertain circumstances of today has brought about a unified sense of gratitude.” The movement asks for students to write and decorate a heartfelt card, take a picture, and email it to the campaign, who will send the photos to beneficiaries and their social media page, @forthefront on Instagram. “It is always easier to overcome obstacles when you have an army by your side,” Molot explains. “We hope our letters will provide support and motivation for our essential workers to continue fighting this uphill battle.” So far, the campaign has received over 50 letters. Currently, the campaign focuses on receiving as many letters as possible. The leaders do want to expand the movement to help more people as well. “We also want to send letters to people in hospitals whose families cannot visit them to offer some warmth,” Li notes. The four plan to extend their campaign to more than just letters as well. Adigun states, “We hope to expand our campaign to provide resources for students, such as scholarship opportunities, that they may have missed due to the coronavirus.” The four encourage other students to create their own efforts to help relieve the disaster. “There are so many local businesses that are unfortunately facing financial challenges because of the tumultuous situation. You can begin an initiative to help these businesses out and educate the public about the implications of the coronavirus.” Cheng advises. There are also more casual, low-effort ways to help out, such as buying gift cards from local businesses to keep them afloat, checking in on friends and family who may be living alone, or donating medical supplies to hospitals. To participate in this campaign, email a letter to forthefrontlines@gmail.com, thanking a health professional, first responder, or essential worker in Maryland. This article was provided by Chinese American Parents Association Junior Reporter Club (CAPA JRC) with members who interviewed, audio recorded, wrote, translated, and video recorded. CAPA JRC has 19 Montgomery County middle to high school students. They have created a bilingual platform delivering news and serving the community. Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCA0gylW1ZCcgDvDiLAyObbA Instagram: @capa_jrc Blog: https://capajrc.wixsite.com/capajrc