Spreading the kindness of friends and strangers alike through handwritten cards.
Our team knows how important community is and the positive impact kindness can have. Even though we created TEDx Today and partnered with other local organizations to assist in COVID-19 relief, we felt that our efforts could go farther. We already created TEDxToday in order to explore new perspectives and allow for TED-like discussions to take place. Nevertheless, we want to go a step further; we want to do something that makes an everlasting impact and brightens someone’s day. Our team knows how challenging this quarantine has been for many people since they have not been able to see loved ones or even leave their homes. Taking inspiration from this, we decided to send letters to the elderly. Often being restricted to their nursing home and unable to see family, many senior citizens have been negatively impacted by the current pandemic. By providing them with kindness, love, and hope, we hope to enlighten their days and brighten their moods.
As a youth organization, we felt the best way to do this was through handwritten cards. In the past year we have witnessed the incredible kindness and dedication in our local community. From supporting our fundraisers to spreading the word on social media, our platform is built upon the hard work of countless youth and families dedicated to delivering “ideas worth spreading”. In making these cards our team had no doubt that this effort was something we needed to extend beyond our team. We reached out to family, friends, and complete strangers to help us make cards for senior living homes and hospitals. Quicker than we could have ever imagined, we began receiving messages from individuals expressing their interest in creating cards. Currently our team has received calls from our neighbors to individuals in Texas and New York. We are continuously inspired by the willingness of strangers to dedicate time and thought into our efforts.
In one week we were able to collect 100 cards, and decided to extend our goal to 200. With the help of partners, our team highlighted this effort across our platform and we have watched in amazement as more people join this initiative every day. Our 200 card goal has been achieved, but we are not stopping there. We intended to fully use this momentum to gather as many cards and notes of kindness as possible. We hope this experience not only can brighten a senior citizen’s day, but also provide a source of pride and accomplishment for youth within the community. Throughout this project our goal remains to inspire youth, and as we have learned over the past few months, giving platforms for them to express gratitude and kindness is an unforgettable and empowering action.
If you or anyone you know is interested in creating cards, our team would be excited and grateful for your efforts! Please send us an email at tedxyouthatberwyn@gmail.com or DM us @tedxyouthberwyn to get started.