Members of TJ’s Letters Of Love club create encouraging cards and have a fun time! photo by Billy Rodriguez
A new club sets out to show love and support to those struggling while making history in the process.
Letters of Love has become a big part of Thomas Jefferson’s community by bringing students together through creativity in order to support the kindness movement. Letters of Love is a global non-profit that makes supportive cards for kids who are ill in hospitals in order to take their minds off of their sickness and to encourage them. Meetings are held on Fridays during 5th period lunch in room 132. The first ever high school chapter of Letters Of Love in Colorado is at Thomas Jefferson.
Something the entire leadership team for Letters Of Love appreciates from this club is the community. Communications and outreach director, junior Mai Travi, built on the claim by stating that she loves “being brought together regardless of familiarity with the other students. Everyone is brought together for one purpose.” Meeting manager, junior Lia Rivera, further supports this by sharing how she loves that “there’s all different kinds of people and cards every week.” This club has proved to be more than a fun time to get together and hangout, but a true plan of action to support the club’s mission. The presidents and participants strongly believe in the club, which inclines them to support it so heavily week in and week out.
What made the group of students want to launch the chapter here at Thomas Jefferson was their desire to help out the community. Rivera noticed a friend involved in a chapter with a university and pitched the idea to the group because she “wanted to help out the people and the community.” Social Media Manager, junior Sloane Straayer, said the group wanted to “make a difference even from a small club in a public school [but] seeing how far it can go.” Rivera believes that “it’s just nice to help out the community and help people.” The group was able to reach out to hospitals that were caring for individuals involved in the Evergreen tragedy and write cards to them which were sent out within days. Technical coordinator, junior Jack Baker, had a focus on the larger community stating, “getting that organized on such a short notice and seeing that there was a problem in our community and being able to act on that was the biggest thing for us.”
The club not only wants to reach people in the TJ community, but they are also engaging in global outreach. Straayer stated, “our cards are sent to hospitals all around the United States, bringing comfort and peace to those who don’t have it in the hospitals.” Being able to make such a large impact from what may seem like a simple gathering has turned the heads of students, drawing in more members each week.
Letters of Love doesn’t just offer opportunities to reach people who are hurting globally, but also provides community service hours to the members who volunteer their time to make cards. Letters Of Love is a great way to get to know others while sprouting creativity in the process. Perhaps more importantly, club members get to help those who are in need of comfort. It’s truly an amazing feeling to leave the club every week and understand that each card made a difference for someone who is struggling. For TJ students who are looking for community, this is a great club to join. The strong connections and deeply rooted bonds have become a special piece of TJ’s culture. This club is a student run club, which gives its leaders and members a lot of freedom and creativity surrounding their pursuit of the mission.
The presidents encourage students to join the club if they are struggling to find their group or people to hangout with. In Letters of Love, Travi stated, “we’re all here for the same purpose, which makes us united in that way.” The club continues to welcome in anyone who is new or timid. The community is very welcoming. Straayer stated, “we’re just getting together to make cards, there’s no need to do anything special because nobody will point you out.” The club’s goal is to find new members and help them to see the goals of the club and the opportunities that come with it. Baker continued, “compared to other clubs, you can’t make as direct of an impact as you can with your actions in this club.” The group emphasizes the impact that every student can make every time they step into the room for a club meeting.
