During the Community Day workshops on April 22, Upper School Chinese teachers Ying Wu and Lan Cheng hosted a workshop session making note cards to send love to Asian elders participating in Heart of the Dinner in New York City. Founded at the onset of COVID-19, Heart of Dinner works to fight food insecurity and isolation experienced by Asian American seniors—two long-standing community issues heightened by the pandemic. They now serve 1,500+ elders in Lower Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, delivering weekly hot lunches, fresh produce, and bulk ingredients while supporting local small businesses during their COVID-related recovery process. “During the duration of this pandemic, many Asian communities have been among those bearing the brunt and pain the longest, starting back in late January 2020.” said Ying Wu.
On Community Day, students spent time supporting Heart of Dinner’s initiative by writing and illustrating note cards, which will be delivered to Asian elders throughout NYC with the delicious meals prepared by Heart of Dinner and its additional partners. Students wrote notecards in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean and decorated the cards with drawings and additional notes. With much variety, each card was intended to provide a smile and express gratitude to a community that has been hit the hardest.
“When Asian communities have faced racism, scapegoating, verbal assault, and physical violence, they have united to support each other with care, love, and resilience in a powerful way.
As Ying Wu, writes “We know that the note card made by you with care and love will warm an Asian senior’s heart, bring a smile to that person’s face, and make that person feel not alone.”
