NORWOOD, Ohio —

For most, Wasson Way is a trail for walking or running. Today, it was a Cincinnati Public School Teacher's canvas for art.

Aimee Costandi began leaving encouraging messages on the trail at the beginning of the pandemic. This week, she made her way to Norwood aiming to do more. “I know that there’s a lot of really good people that like to walk this trail and a lot of health care workers," she said, "this was a good place to start.”

With chalk, paint and brushes in hand, Costandi offered walkers and runners the chance to leave a heart, message or name of a health care worker. “I know the kind of stress that health care professionals are under right now and I see them crying on TikTok videos and it breaks my heart and I wanted to just give them a message that we really appreciate what you’re doing,” Costandi said.

Though these hearts and names will wash away with the rain, Costandi hopes the kind words won’t. She also created a Twitter account where people can leave their messages permanently. “So I'm hoping that it turns into a place where health care workers can hop on to a Twitter feed." said Costandi, "Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place where there are lots of positive messages of encouragement before you drift off to sleep from a really hard day?”

For Costandi, this project is a form of therapy. She explained further, “...doing this type of project really helps me cope with my feelings because I feel for them. Because we’re all part of this world, we’re all Americans and you know, we should care about one another.”

The mural also serves as a reminder of togetherness for the community. “I wanted to spend my time doing something that makes me feel good and let other people know that we’re all in this together,” Costandi said.

Costandi shared that she would be having more pop-up events around the Greater Cincinnati Area in the future.

If you'd like to leave a message of encouragement for local health care workers, you can visit the Twitter Costandi created. Just search: @suppcincyhc

MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (TMJ4) - Nyia Luna, a graffiti artist, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, keeps her late father close.

"​My Papi, he's right here actually," she said as she pointed to her necklace engraved with his face.

Experiencing his death at the young age of 13, she grew to understand his legacy and process his dreams.

Tomás Garrett-Rosas dropped out of high school and later joined a gang. Luna said her father grew up spray painting walls throughout his neighborhood.

Rosas eventually turned his life. He earned a doctorate in urban studies and worked as a professor at UW-Whitewater.

Luna never dreamed she could be a legal street artist and get paid for her work. There was a stereotype that came with graffiti, and she was discouraged by her father.

"He always told me, like you're never gonna make a career out of it, it's not gonna work, and I think he did that because that's what he was told," she said.

Luna is making it work. She was selected to paint activist Dolores Huerta on the wall in Milwaukee.

The opportunity came full circle for Luna, as the building was one that Luna's father once painted on.

"It's surreal," she said.

The mural is intended to inspire women.

"In this community, it’s needed because throughout the Cesar Chavez district, it’s all about Cesar Chavez and so they want representation for the other half," Luna said.

Dolores Huerta coined the famous phrase, 'Si, Se Puede,' which translates to 'Yes, we can.'

Huerta worked alongside Cesar Chavez fighting for Hispanic Immigrant farm workers.

"We just really need to really give thought to who's preparing our food and what they have to go through," Luna said.

Currently, at the age of 91, Huerta is still fighting for Hispanic immigrant agriculture workers all over the country.

This story was originally reported by Jessica Madhukar on TMJ4.com.