On Monday, April 6, the residents of Cresswind Charlotte paid special tribute to the men and women on the front lines of the fight against COVID-19 at Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center.
The 55+ community located off Albemarle Road has always had a special relationship with the neighboring hospital. Many Cresswind residents receive medical care at the facility, and many also volunteer there. Novant Mint Hill also collaborates with Cresswind to offer an educational, medical series for residents.
“They have a great love for the hospital,” says Cresswind resident and Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center Case Manager Lisa Higgins. “They’re very passionate about the possible outcomes that will come from all of this.
It was Higgins’ neighbor Pat who came up with an idea to show Novant Health Mint Hill Medical Center that Cresswind supports them. On April 6, the neighborhood was painted “Novant purple” as residents dressed in purple and made signs and chalked their driveways expressing their thanks and support.
“Pat has a drone, so he wanted to create a video,” says Higgins. “We had music playing, cheering, even a baton twirler!” The event was not only a creative way to thank Novant’s providers and staff but also wound up being a celebration of sorts for the residents themselves, a welcome way to gather together while still maintaining social distancing.
The video is one of many ways that Cresswind shows its continued support for their neighbors at Novant Health. They’ve collected donations to assemble goody bags for the staff and hope to organize a pizza party for them. They’re also planning to visit the hospital parking lot in the coming weeks during shift changes to cheer on the team and recognize them with signs and honking horns.
Novant Health is grateful for the ongoing support shown to them by the Cresswind community. “It was very important to them,” says Higgins. “It was beautiful, and the video is actually on the front page of our corporate intranet today.”
“I think it’s important for us all to rise up and join together in this fight,” continues Higgins, “so that no one feels alone, and from a community perspective, we show how tight our community is. We show not to be afraid but to offer loving, kind ways of helping others and especially supporting our local hospital system.”
There are so many ways that we can all be like Cresswinds’ residents and support our “Healthcare Heroes.” In addition to organizing similar initiatives, everyone is invited to donate to Novant Health’s Disaster Relief fund. Money raised through the Disaster Relief Fund is used to assist employees with childcare issues or who become sick themselves. Make sure to choose the “Greater Charlotte Market” when making a donation.
