Spa Owner Donates To Frontline Workers: Northbrook Hero

NORTHBROOK, IL — When times are tough, heroes emerge. We all know someone who's making a difference right now as we live through unprecedented times. Here at Patch, we've launched an initiative to help recognize these everyday heroes.

This submission comes from Veronica, of Northbrook, who nominated Leslie Lee, of Northbrook:

Is the nominee considered an "essential worker"?:
No

What does the nominee do for work?:
Owner of Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa

Why do you believe the nominee should be recognized or honored?

As the owner of a business dedicated to improving the health and wellness of its customers, Leslie Lee set out to give back to those on the frontlines of the COVID-19 crisis. Lee owns Northbrook's Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa, and recently donated over $6,000 in gift cards to local healthcare workers with the help of her spa's members.

When Lee's spa was forced to temporarily close its doors due to the pandemic, she decided to find a way to keep her business afloat while also giving back to the community she calls home. For every client who decided to keep their membership going while the spa was closed, Lee donated a Hand & Stone gift card to local healthcare workers. Some members also offered to go the extra mile by donating the unused packages and services that they accumulated while the spa was closed.

Together, these donations total over $6,000 in Hand & Stone gift cards. They've been given to frontline healthcare workers in Evanston Hospital's ER and Glenbrook Hospital's COVID-19 ICU and ER.

What’s one thing you want everyone to know about your hero?:
"Many of our members were happy to take part in this campaign," Lee said. "We had members calling to freeze their accounts while the spa was closed, but once I explained that by keeping their accounts active, they would be providing a gift card for a frontline worker, many of them decided against freezing."

Some members even offered to go the extra mile by donating the unused packages and services that they accumulated while the spa was closed. These additional gifts led to even more gift cards and services being donated.

"We've really appreciated the support of our members. When we closed in March, we never expected to be closed for as long as we were. It was so critical to have the support of our members to help us survive as a business," Lee said.

Together, these donations totaled over $6,000 in Hand & Stone gift cards given to frontline healthcare workers in Evanston Hospital's ER and Glenbrook Hospital's COVID-19 ICU and ER.

"This was an amazing opportunity to work with our members during a difficult period, but also to give back to the people working hard in our hospitals during this time," Lee said.

Now that Northbrook’s Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa is once again open for business, it’s committed to keeping guests safe by requiring all staff members to pass a Sanitation and Illness Prevention course and pre-service employee health checks. All surfaces and rooms are sanitized with medical-grade disinfectants and all linens are single service use.