Whether it be to accompany a gift for a friend’s birthday or write a sweet message to a parent over the holidays, everyone has taken a simple piece of paper and a few markers to create a handmade card at least once in their lives.
Letters of Love, a global organization founded in Minnesota, strives to use simple, handmade cards to bring emotional support to children with chronic illnesses. Founded in 2018, the organization has expanded to 42 U.S. states at both high schools and colleges, even receiving cards from other countries.
Earlier this year, juniors Tatum Luedke and Ella Smayda brought this volunteer club to North.
Luedke has been interested in starting this club at North since she moved here from Minnesota last year.
“Because Letters of Love is founded in Minnesota, it’s really big and popular there,” said Luedke. “It was just so much fun to make the cards and feel like you’re a part of something bigger. So when I moved here, I was really sad that North didn’t have Letters of Love.”
When writing the cards, club members aim to brighten the kids’ days and boost their moods without focusing on the fact that they are sick.
“We write a lot [of] uplifting things, like ‘you are loved,’ ‘you inspire me,’ ‘I’m proud of you,’” said Smayda. “We try to stay away from things that are like ‘feel better’ because we don’t want to remind them of the illness.”
Once the club members create the cards, they are sent to the global organization to distribute to pediatric hospitals around the world. Letters of Love has distributed over 425,000 cards to lift children’s spirits within the last seven years.
Tasked by the global organization to hold three fundraisers a year, North’s Letters of Love club is currently raising money through sophomore Jayden Quines’ cookie business.
“We’re selling those cookies, and some of it comes back to us, but then we’ll hold two other fundraisers throughout the year,” said Luedke. “That goes back to the global organization, because they reimburse us in turn for other stuff.”
Already sparking a lot of interest with 40 members, Letters of Love meets every other Thursday morning at 6:30 a.m. in room 235. Luedke and Smayda have noticed the significant impact the small action of making a card has.
“It’s just little things that brighten [the sick child’s] day,” said Smayda. “It ends up creating a big impact on them, even if it’s just a little joke, but I feel like it’s just a great way to give back, knowing that you’re helping them in some way.”
This activity not only positively affects the children in hospitals, but the students making the cards as well.
“I just think it’s really fun and even relaxing to make the cards,” Luedke said. “You know that it’s going towards something bigger than yourself.”
Students interested in helping make cards can reach out to Luedke or Smayda for more information.
