When group of students taking an Entrepreneurial Management Venture Challenge course in Royal Roads University’s Bachelor of Commerce program were asked to come up with online project as a class assignment, they chose to spread a message of hope.
Their non-profit, Hope in a Card, features a selection of original, hand lettered and hand painted acrylic cards people can send to their loved ones while they can’t be with them. Each card, designed by local entrepreneur Melanie Gordon of Melanie Anne Designs, can include a personalized message — and the Hope in a Card team posts the card via snail mail so customers don’t even have to go to the mailbox or post office.
“We recognized the impact that social distancing was having on the mental health of ourselves, and many others, and we wanted to find a way to help,” says Camille Johns, who launched the Hope in a Card website in late April with classmates Nicole Yan, Ty Christie, Arvind Jnagal and Laura Rechwan.
“There has never been a better time for us to come together as a community and we hope to use this snail mail initiative as a way to encourage connection and spark joy in the lives of others during this time.”
Fifty per cent of the proceeds of cards sold go toward Victoria Hospital Foundation to support the purchase of equipment, special projects and research. The other 50 per cent supports the local artist who creates the cards.
“I think for us, we were feeling impact on our mental health, and our on friends and family. I watched a video of Tony Robbins saying how one of the main human needs is connection so [Hope in a Card] has really provided us with this sense of fulfillment. We’re helping community and we’re getting to apply our classroom lessons to real life…we’re learning something that’s contributing to the world. We see this word as ourselves and all these strangers and it’s really we are connected somehow. It’s a beautiful thing.”
You can visit the students’ online shop at www.hopeinacard.ca or on Instagram at @hopeinacard.
