By Natalie French | Reporter

Baylor’s chapter of Letters of Love recently hosted their first club meeting. Letters of Love is an international nonprofit supporting children in hospitals by making cards.

According to their website, members “aim to build a community of love and kindness, empowering young people to change the world one card at a time.”

Rogers, Minn., sophomore Kira Cmiel is the president of Baylor’s chapter. She said she got involved with Letters of Love in middle school because it sounded easy and fun.

“As I got to learn what it truly was about, it changed my view on the gravity of childhood cancer and illness,” Cmiel said. “I could not fathom someone my age being stuck in a hospital room with no color and no joy. My room, as a kid, was quite literally a jungle. It was a magical place to grow up, so coming up to my room every night made me deeply reflect on how I took not only my room for granted but my health as well.”

Maple Grove, Minn., sophomore Peyton Leisey serves as Letters of Love’s vice president alongside Cmiel. Leisey said this nonprofit comes from their home state of Minnesota and some of her high school friends continued to go on and lead college chapters. She said this influenced her and Cmiel to do the same.

“I wanted to continue to spread the love too,” Leisey said.

Cmiel said the impact of joining Letters of Love is twofold.

“Every card I made not only brought me joy to color with my friends, but I also knew it was going to a meaningful place where someone would appreciate the small acts of kindness and color that I didn’t even have to think twice about,” Cmiel said.

Leisey said that being a part of Letters of Love is simple. The club gets together to make cards and just hang out with each other.

Cmiel and Leisey both said their goal for Letters of Love is to become a prominent organization at Baylor and “a place where everyone can come together and make a difference.”

“Letters of Love is growing quickly around the globe and although we are one of many, every card counts,” Cmiel said. “I hope others can understand how much simple cards mean to kids going through what most of us cannot even imagine and be able to be a part of the reason they smile.”

Letters of Love’s next meeting is at 6 p.m. November 14 in the Bill Daniel Student Center.