The pandemic has been hard on everyone. From job losses to schooling and daycare issues, illness, and the loss of loved ones, there’s hardly a person on the planet that hasn’t been adversely affected by COVID-19. But there’s one group that’s been on the frontlines since the very beginning, facing the constant threat of infection while dealing with the rest of the challenges that 2020 threw at them — essential workers. 

 Many of us feel forever indebted to this brave group of men and women — nurses, doctors, first responders, critical retail workers and tradesmen, childcare providers, teachers, infrastructure technicians, and many more. These are people that didn’t have the “luxury” of staying home and out of harm’s way. Their jobs required them to show up, every day, and face the struggles of a global pandemic.  

 We want to express our gratitude, but we may not know how. This article will help with a few ideas for how to thank those essential workers that kept the lights on, kept the mail flowing, cared for the sick, and worked to keep the peace throughout last year. We thank them because they deserve it.

WHEN YOU SEE ONE, THANK ONE

As the world reopens, we’re getting the opportunity to thank essential workers in person, and there’s no better way to say thank you than to simply say it! Not sure who to thank? Check this list to find out who is an essential worker. 

 Thank your dentist, your plumber, and the person that rings you up at the grocery store. If you need to see a doctor, thank them for everything they’ve done to help. Have an issue with your water bill? Thank the attendant that takes your call. You get the idea. Cultivate a habit of thanking each and every worker you meet.

SEE ALSO: 5 Examples of When to Send Thank You Cards

PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THOSE SUPPORTING US

It’s become fairly common for groups to donate meals to overworked hospital workers, police officers, day workers, and other essential positions. Get involved by either making a donation or volunteering. These deliveries can be done safely, and they make a real impact on those that may not have the time to take care of themselves properly.

SEE ALSO: How Nonprofits Can Boost Donations and Delight Volunteers

CREATE THANK YOU SIGNS AND DISPLAY THEM EVERYWHERE

Create colorful, exuberant thank you signs and stake them in your front yard, the entryway to your business, and in the rear window of your car. Signs are an excellent way to let people know they’re appreciated. It will give their day a welcome boost and remind them why they’re doing what they’re doing.  

 Handcrafting signs is a great way to get your kids involved in thanking essential workers, too. They can make their own signs if they’re old enough, or help with yours. Explain why you’re creating the signs, what it is these critical workers have done for them, and why it’s good to thank them.

SEND OUT PERSONALIZED THANK YOU NOTES

If you’re trying to figure out how to thank essential workers, and you can’t do it in person, a heartfelt thank you note is the next best thing. Start with the people you know — friends, family, and acquaintances that have been putting their health and safety on the line. Then expand out from there. Send your child’s teachers or daycare workers a thoughtful card. You might not be able to thank every nurse or doctor at your local hospital, but you could craft a meaningful message directed at all of them. 

 Even if you’ve already thanked the essential workers you know in person, a thank you card adds an additional layer of gratitude and allows them a keepsake that they can refer to when they need moral support. 

 If you have a large number of thank you notes you want to send but don’t have the time to handwrite all of them, let Simply Noted help. Our handwriting machines can pen personalized thank you notes to all of the essential workers on your list and mail them automatically.

SEE ALSO: How to Write a Thank You Note - Best Tips and Examples

DONATE TO RELIEF CHARITIES

When we think of essential workers, our minds usually go to doctors, nurses, and first responders, but there’s a wide margin of people that are critical to keeping society running that are making minimum wage. Gas station attendants, convenience store clerks, grocery workers, fast food employees, and a host of other low-wage occupations have had to contend with childcare issues, reduced hours, and job-related stress. Some are struggling to make ends meet all while doing their duty day in and day out. 

 How to thank them? Help get them the relief they need. Sites like Charity Navigator maintain a list of relief charities devoted to helping out during the pandemic. Give Essential is another great option, helping essential workers around the country get the items they need.

SEE ALSO: How to Write Thank You Letters to Your Customers

TIP GENEROUSLY

If you have it, give it. Add a generous tip for the driver that delivers your dinner. If you’re still using a grocery delivery service make sure you take care of your shopper properly. You might even consider adding a little extra for services that aren’t normally tipped. These people are putting themselves in harm’s way so that you don’t have to. Make sure to make it worth their while.

SEE ALSO: Gratitude Is a Business Strategy

KEEP YOURSELF AND OTHERS SAFE

Essential workers have spent months risking their safety in order to ensure the health and safety of others. One of the best ways to thank them for their sacrifice is to make sure it isn’t in vain. Wear your mask. Keep social distancing. Get your vaccine when it becomes available. Do all of the things that you can do to keep your family and those around you safe so that critical workers know they put themselves on the line for a good reason. 

Those of us at Simply Noted would like to use this blog post to send our own thanks to all of the essential workers doing their part right now to keep life moving forward. You all put yourself out there, even when you didn’t want to because you knew you had an important part to play. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your sacrifice.  

 We know some made the ultimate sacrifice, and no words can amply express our gratitude. It doesn’t matter what you do. You are all heroes. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!