This High Schooler's Organization Sends Homemade Cards to Kids in Hospitals
A simple letter or card can go a long way toward brightening someone’s day. But Grace Berbig, a graduating senior at Orono High School in Minnesota, took this small act of kindness to the next level by founding Letters of Love, a non-profit organization that sends patients in children’s hospitals homemade letters and cards. Berbig started Letters of Love during her junior year of high school as a club with fellow students so they could gather and make cards. But the idea quickly spread, and by the end of 2019, over half of the students at her local high school were participating, and 19 other Minnesota schools had started their own branches of the club.
Courtesy of Letters of Love
Berbig’s inspiration for starting Letters of Love came from her mother. “After my mom lost her battle with leukemia when I was 10, I vowed to myself that I would devote my life to helping people who are in similar situations as she was,” Berbig says. “I raised money for several hospitals and charities, but still didn't feel like I was doing enough, so I started to brainstorm ways to make a larger impact.”
Eventually, she came up with the perfect idea: Creating handmade cards for hospital patients, specifically children battling cancer and other serious illnesses. While her mom was in the hospital, Berbig and her sisters used to make homemade cards to show her they were always thinking of her.
At first, Berbig says the Letters of Love club at her high school donated their cards to Children’s Minnesota, the largest children’s hospital in the state. But after the project grew, they expanded and starting sending the cards to other hospitals, too. “We give each club a hospital that they donate their cards to after each meeting, usually the one closest to where that club is located, in hopes of equally spreading the love to as many children as possible,” Berbig says. So far, Letters of Love has sent over 60,000 cards to children in hospitals.
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Now, Berbig is working on increasing the impact of Letters of Love on a national and even a global scale. On May 26, she started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for the organization to help fund animal therapy for patients, gifts for patients and families, working with Mattel to donate Cancer Barbies to children's hospitals, and publishing a children’s book to help spread Letters of Love’s message about the importance of small acts of kindness. The fundraising goal was $10,000, but Berbig's GoFundMe campaign has already hit almost $11,000.
Courtesy of Letters of Love
Besides donating money, you can also take inspiration from Letters of Love and make your own cards for children’s hospitals. Berbig recommends giving handmade cards to a local hospital if you decide to make your own, but you can also contact Letters of Love and she’ll distribute them to hospitals in need.
Though Berbig hopes to expand the organization’s impact, its core mission is the same. “My main goal is to emotionally support each and every child who is battling cancer and other serious illnesses,” she says. “I want each and every child to know that they are loved, important, and have a whole team fighting right along with them.” Letters of Love is a perfect reminder that even a small gesture can make a huge difference to someone when they need a little extra love and support!
