Massage therapists 'overwhelmed' with gratitude after offering free therapy to frontline workers - GuelphToday

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Owners of Pomegranate Grove know first hand how mentally and physically draining work can be for front line workers during the pandemic, so they wanted to help them in a way they knew how.

Mairin Da Maren and Tanya Azzopardi advertised free massages on their Instagram page, narrowing down their services to nurses, midwives and personal support workers, asking them to reach out and book an appointment.

The response, Da Maren said was overwhelming.

“I had a couple of messages saying this brought me to tears. I guess just being recognized in a way that's helping their well being,” said Da Maren.

“I was taken aback by the chord it struck.”

Within 24 hours, Pomegranate Grove filled up the 70 available slots in the first week of February with 70 front line workers from Guelph and Kitchener.

“I didn't realize how many of them were working contract jobs without benefits and it was really an emotional impact,” said Da Maren.

Da Maren said the frontline workers’ main concern was feeling overworked and tired with many of them not having access to benefits.

She said as the pandemic puts a strain on front line workers’ mental and physical health, it’s important for the owners as community members to dedicate some time for front line workers to heal.

“Just having someone say, okay we'll take care of you for 45 minutes,” said Da Maren. “They’re caring for so many people.”

“The mental capacity that it takes to care for others, that compassion and care, that burnout isn't always addressed.”

Da Maren said after the first lockdown, many nurses reached out to her saying they were glad her clinic was open. She said having her business be able to stay open is not something she takes for granted or lightly.

She said it's important for her and Azzopardi to offer these complimentary massages to front line workers to pay it forward and help uplift front line workers.

“We wanted to serve as best as we can at these times,” said Da Maren.

She said she’s especially wary of safety protocols for nurses because they work in high-risk environments. So the massage therapists will use single-use linens, sanitize the environment before and after clients, space out the appointments and make sure all staff and clients wear PPE.

“We’re taking those measures very, very seriously,” said Da Maren.