Thank Yous

While many people still go to work to fulfill their essential roles, there are many who get to stay safe in their homes. This has not gone unnoticed. People around Milwaukee have tried to show their thanks to essential workers through a variety of ways. A common way this is done is by having signs placed in windows or outside of buildings that often say, “Thank You Essential Workers.” People have also given homemade thank you cards to those they know personally. Along with this, people have been sharing their experiences with essential workers on social media as a way to spread awareness and gratituted to those who have helped them. This is most often done by someone who was admitted into the hospital with COVID-19, or they have had someone in their family be admitted due to COVID-19. These are the little ways in which people have tried to acknowledge the tough and often scary work essential workers are doing.

There have also been bigger ways by which the community has shown their thanks to essential workers. The most prominent are murals and parades. One mural that was much discussed during the beginning of the “Safer at Home” order is located on the corner of South Sixth Street and Lincoln Avenue. Because of this location, the mural is frequently seen by those driving by. The mural was done by artist Mauricio Ramirez and shows a praying masked nurse. This was created to show thanks to Milwaukee nurses and served a reminder to those at home to stay at home to keep essential workers safe. During the quarantine there have also been multiple car parades in front of hospitals during shift change in order to show support for healthcare workers. Everyone participating in the parade either decorate their car or are waving signs saying thank you. They also make sure to maintain social distancing in order to make this a fun and safe experience for all.