Proud to be from Pittsburgh: Hang a Heart in your Window

PITTSBURGH — A local nonprofit said the way it is spreading kindness during this time is by showing support to the frontline workers by hanging hearts in their homes.

Hearts are on doors and windows, mostly handmade, all with a common goal during this time of social distancing.

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"We have heart on the window for the hospital workers, the grocery store workers and people that still go to work like my dad," said Francesca Palmieri of Forrest Hills.

The “Hang a Heart in your Window” campaign is part of the kindness movement and one of the pillars of the Caileigh Lynn McDowell Foundation.

The foundation was formed in honor of Caileigh McDowell. She was a Woodland Hills High School senior who died due to undiagnosed Crohn's disease in 2016.

Caileigh Lynn McDowell Foundation Executive Director Lynn M. Banaszak said the idea was first started by a child.

"We launched the project just in a very organic way amongst friends and family and young people that are involved in our foundation since the beginning of April, and it's really taken off in a way that we hadn't anticipated,” Banaszak said.

Families have made it a fun project for kids to do, like the Palmieri sisters. More than a dozen hearts are hung in their front window with messages like “count your blessings” and “thank you.”

The oldest sister, Gabriella Palmieri, said she hopes her window makes the community smile.

"It’s also to uplift people in the neighborhood and the community and show that we care. Stay safe and we have hope this will stop,” Palmieri said.

Banaszak said the foundation has received pictures from all over the country spreading their message.

"California and Florida and Georgia, friends in Michigan… although it's started sort of very close to home with friends and family and supporters. It's actually, since we started, spread all over the country,” she said.

It's an act that is making us Proud to be from Pittsburgh.

For more on the foundation and this project, click here.

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