That’s the spirit organizers said drove their Valentine’s Day event in San Francisco’s Bernal Heights neighborhood to ensure children didn’t miss out on the traditional valentine exchange as schools remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic.
Dozens of families prepared valentines to put outside their homes for kids taking part in the contactless “Hearts on the Hill” event from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. in Bernal. More than 50 homes prepared window displays with pink, heart-shaped paper for people to write a valentine, goodie bags, chalk drawings on sidewalks and more.
Organizers posted a Google Map for participants to indicate they would have valentines outside their home for collecting. More than 50 locations had been posted by noon Sunday, where families could go around and gather the holiday offerings.
“Let’s give our local kids something magical to remember today,” Jennifer Kuhr Butterfoss, co-organizer of the event, wrote in a Facebook group sharing details about the event.
Butterfoss added: “[For your information], this would have been my sons first Valentines exchange in school but he doesn’t get to do it because it’s almost been a full year of school closures. COVID won’t rob us of the magic!!!”
Butterfoss told The Chronicle the event was inspired by another mom in the Bernal neighborhood who spearheaded a similar effort for Halloween.
“[Children] are missing a lot of their school events and all the fun things that come with being part of a school community,” said Butterfoss, mother of two children ages 5 and 8.
Butterfoss added: “Just like a lot of parents, we’re trying to do our best to provide some of the fun and magic and socialization that [children] really miss having through different events like this.”
Wanda Kz and her 5-year-old daughter planned to hand out plastic bags holding crayons melted and formed into the shape of a heart.
“Its been a little more challenging because we don’t want to go to big events right now so it’s been really nice” to have socially distant events in the Bernal neighborhood, Kz said.
The event comes as San Francisco public schools have been closed for the past year due to the pandemic. Employee unions recently announced a tentative agreement with the San Francisco Unified School District to safely reopen schools, which the board will consider Tuesday.
District officials have said it will take at least five weeks to reopen after they reach a separate educational agreement with the teachers union, with a goal of six weeks of in-person instruction through the remainder of the school year. Teachers last week proposed a reopening plan that would allow students to be in classrooms two days per week.
Butterfoss said many parents have been frustrated with the school board’s reopening plans.
“I think the mental health crisis amongst our kids isn’t being talked about nearly enough,” said Butterfoss, who also works for New Leaders, an organization that focuses on improving education for children, specifically poor students and students of color.
She added: “Just not having access to that critical in-person socialization and belonging that comes with being part of a physical school community and having a place to go to every day, I think a lot of families are just getting super frustrated and they've reached their breaking point.”
Butterfoss hopes to collect leftover valentines to donate Bernal’s Learning Hub, an educational assistance program created by San Francisco officials last year. The hubs are set up at recreation facilities, libraries and community centers throughout the city to help children during the pandemic.
Jessica Flores is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jessica.flores@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jesssmflores
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February 15, 2021 at 05:03AM
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‘Super frustrated’ by S.F. school closures, neighbors organize contactless Valentine’s Day exchange for kids - San Francisco Chronicle
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