Hearts of hope and strength decorate Wadena

From house to house, to streets and businesses the #aworldofhearts displays to support one another during the COVID-19 pandemic are filling people with hope, along with a meaningful way to spend their time. At NAPA Auto Parts in Wadena, the heart display with a stained glass theme appeared on April 2.

Wadena-Deer Creek ninth grade students Reagan Goldie and Emoni Holmes took on the project after decorating their windows at home. Each of the windows were decorated with chalk window markers, about 36 different colors according to Goldie. From 1:30 p.m. until closing on Thursday, Goldie and Holmes filled the center window at NAPA with patterns and shapes.

Store manager Jeremy Hodgden said he hopes to involve NAPA in the community more, and for displays like this they have the window space.

Goldie completed her home window with a cross, different shapes and little hearts before sharing the markers with Holmes who created sections of shapes around the phrase, “But God.”

Mandy Gill in Bismarck, North Dakota created the page with inspiration from other Facebook groups, the Forum News Service reported. With people from across the United States and around the world, the public #aworldofhearts group on Facebook has 448,470 members, as of April 2, and shares the message, “By filling your windows with hearts your neighbors and those passing by will know we are in this together!”

1/4: With a stained glass theme, the Wadena-Deer Creek ninth grade students also lined the window with yellow duct tape as an outline, according to Holmes. Photos by Rebecca Mitchell/Pioneer Journal

2/4: An extra display of a string of hearts graces Weber's Hardware window.

3/4: At Central Minnesota Credit Union, people are welcomed to the drive-up with purple and pink hearts.

4/4: Hearts showing that 'we're all in this together' during the pandemic were added to the windows at Drastic Measures Brewing. (Rebecca Mitchell / Progress)