Rich River Quilters Helen Quinn, Marika Szendroe and Glenys Bailey holding some of the many hearts they have created for the initiative.
The 1000 Hearts Kindness Project has made a mark on the staff at Echuca Regional Health, who have found themselves gifting handmade hearts to patients, visitors, volunteers and each other.
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The concept is simple, two pieces of heart-shaped fabric are stitched together with stuffing and decorated in any way the ‘heartist’ desires.
These creations are then handed out, to be kept in the receiver’s pocket as a reminder that someone is thinking of them.
The project was created in 2016 by Sarah De Jonge, who began sewing the hearts during a period of grief and anxiety, sending 1000 off to be shared by community volunteers.
When ERH staff members Angela Procter and Denise Inwood heard about the project during a palliative care conference in Sydney, they knew it was an initiative they would take back home.
“During the breaks they had the hearts on the table, so you could make a heart while you were there,” Ms Inwood said.
“They explained the whole process ... it’s nice to have a heart in your pocket.”
The team has since filled ERH with hearts, starting with the palliative care ward and soon expanding across the hospital.
The 1000 Hearts Kindness Project has taken off at ERH, supported by staff, volunteers and the Rich River Quilters. Photos: Supplied
Rich River Quilters jumped on board to help sew, along with ERH staff and volunteers, decorating each heart with a different design.
“They’re all unique, that’s the lovely thing about them,” Ms Inwood said.
“People can keep them in their pocket (as a reminder that) someone is thinking about me, or I’m thinking of someone else.”
The ERH team has been impressed with the response from the community to the initiative, particularly the commitment Rich River Quilters have made to helping out.
“People have actually been making them for themselves at their own functions,” Ms Procter said.
“We’ve been providing the materials, they come and get a pack and off they go.
“Rich River Quilters just do it all themselves, they’re amazing.”
To get involved, people can head to the ERH volunteer desk and pick up a kit. ‘Heartists’ can then bring the hearts back to the hospital or share them with their loved ones.
Volunteer co-ordinator Georgie Baker has been busy at work cutting out the fabric hearts and pre-measuring the cotton and stuffing for each kit.
“It’s something so simple, and an act of kindness,” Ms Inwood said.
“In a world where sometimes you think nobody’s thinking about you, you get a heart, and you think, ‘someone is thinking about me’.”
The 1000 Hearts team also sells kits and pre-made hearts, with profits used to donate 1000 Hearts packs for schools and aged care facilities.
