For the past few years, NHHA has celebrated National Good Neighbor Day in various ways in late September. We have recognized residents who exemplified what it means to be a Good Neighbor; we hosted block parties to celebrate the sense of community we enjoy in our neighborhood; we supported our local Dallas Fire & Rescue First Responders; we donated toys to Medical City Children’s Hospital and we hosted a blood drive.
 
This year, the NHHA Board wants to focus on supporting healthcare workers, who are facing unprecedented demands and risk in the midst of the global pandemic. One local healthcare facility which has been hit especially hard since March is Parkland Hospital. They admitted their first COVID-19 patient on March 11 and opened the Tactical Care Unit (TCU) two weeks later. At the height of their patient load, they had converted five different wards to be COVID-specific. Medical professionals worked 12 hour shift after 12 hour shift, sometimes up to 6 shifts a week. Often they lived apart from immediate family and avoided spending time with other loved ones, out of caution. Thankfully, Parkland was recently able to close the TCU and start caring for patients in individual rooms. But, Dr. Matt Leveno, the TCU’s medical director, says the fight is far from over and even if talk of COVID on the news has subsided, Parkland staff have to remain diligent.
 
NHHA believes this would be an ideal time to show support of Parkland personnel. The Volunteer Services Coordinator at Parkland said a great way to show love and appreciation is by sending meals to staff. It will save them time and money and possibly be a meal they might’ve skipped otherwise. She also said it will be an encouraging gesture that a neighborhood would think of them in a special way during this difficult time.
 
Parkland has detailed food donation guidelines, and the easiest way to ensure they are adhered to and that our effect is maximized, is for NHHA to pool donated funds from residents and arrange a mass delivery on or around September 28, National Good Neighbor Day. We will handle coordination between the food establishment and Parkland, so all we need from you is monetary support!
 
If you’d like to contribute to our efforts, there are a few ways to participate:
 
1) If you have a Paypal account, send your donation of any amount to membership@northwoodhills.org.
2) If you’d like to make a donation by check or cash, please reach out to any Board Member to arrange its pick-up/drop-off. Don’t leave funds in anyone’s mailbox or under their mat. We also ask that you don’t mail the check/cash to our PO Box, in case there is a delay with delivery.
 
NHHA will pool the donated funds and arrange the individually wrapped meals to be delivered in bulk from a local food establishment to Parkland. The deadline for participation has already passed, but please reach out if you’d like to see if you can still contribute.
 
The residents of our wonderful neighborhood consistently show themselves to be generous, friendly, and caring. Thanks for epitomizing what it means to be a good neighbor. YOU are what makes Northwood Hills a great place to live!