Heather Goldminc and her family are creating hundreds of packages in a fundraiser for the Nanaimo food bank. (submitted/Heather Goldminc)

By Spencer Sterritt

Heart on Our Trees

Ceramic hearts campaign sees great success to help Nanaimo food bank

Apr 19, 2020 | 7:01 AM

NANAIMO – A fundraising campaign benefitting the Nanaimo food bank is taking off in ways the organizers could have never imagined.

Ceramic artist Heather Goldminc and her family at Blue Sky Clayworks are creating hundreds of clay hearts, which are sold in $20 packages.

Five dollars from each package goes to the Nanaimo Loaves and Fishes Community Bank.

Goldminc said they’ve worked non-stop since announcing the campaign earlier in the week.

“When i woke up the next day (after announcing the campaign) I woke up to something like 600 hearts we had to cut out.”

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Goldminc said she never doubted the Nanaimo community would rally for the food bank.

“The community supports every body at every level,” she told NanaimoNewsNOW. “I think we have respect for all people here, which is something I didn’t always see when I’ve lived in larger communities.”

Here, people understand the need and they want to help because they recognize that for a healthy community you have to start from the bottom up. _{Heather Goldminc}

Many other companies, such as the Iron Oxide art supply store and Michaels, are involved in creating the packages of hearts.

Each heart comes un-painted and families paint them, to be hung in their trees in a show of support for frontline workers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Goldminc said helping people express their gratitude for health workers is a personal effort.

Her daughter is a nurse and she’s caring for two vulnerable relatives.

She said each order which comes in reminds her how important it is to support those who need it most.

The current wait time for ceramic heart kits is three to five days.

You can order them online here.

spencer@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @spencer_sterrit