A group of local university students recently expressed their gratitude to healthcare workers at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center and Geisinger South Wilkes-Barre for their work during the pandemic.

Members of the Sign Language Club at Misericordia University recently organized a service project to make thank-you cards for the nurses and doctors at the two hospitals. The project, organized by club president, Jenna-Leigh Marrone, sent more than 70 thank you cards to hospital staff members.

Marrone created a template for the card and asked the club members to add their own words of appreciation to the hospital staff.

“The club members were excited to write cards to give back in some way to the healthcare workers. The other officers of the club and I were amazed at how many cards we received,” Marrone saide. “We all felt that words and cards do not reflect to all the caring and selfless work that the hospital staff has been doing, but it was something we wanted to do to remind them that we are appreciative and forever grateful for them.” 

The Misercordia Sign Language Club was created two years ago by Marrone, a speech-language pathology major at the school, whose older sister is deaf. The club has 110 members from all different majors but with the majority in nursing and education.

Marrone, club member Julianna Simunek and club treasurer Faith Foster recently delivered the cards along with thank-you balloons.

“This was a way to thank the hospital staff for making our community a safer and healthier place,” Marrone added.