Freshman Angela Rogers has always felt a calling from God to help those around her, so when opportunities arose, she did just that.
This fall, she worked to make hundreds of cards for hospital patients around Arkansas, finishing her project with about 700 cards. Her inspiration came from a friend back home who survived cancer.
“My friend, named Andrew, had stage four cancer and I kept making cards for him and he had a miraculous recovery,” Rogers said. “Andrew’s mom had even given up; she was planning his funeral. But I knew that he just needed the encouragement to keep going.”
Andrew is now out of the hospital and planning his wedding. His recovery is part of what motivated Rogers to make cards.
“If what I did for him helped Andrew that much, then I thought, ‘Well, what could these cards do for other people?'” Rogers said. “They just provide encouragement, which is sometimes all someone in the hospital needs.”
Rogers spent a few weeks making these cards, and besides investing her time into the project, she also invested money into the supplies. Her friends helped make the cards and she was able to get more volunteers through chapel announcements and posts on the Harding Facebook page.
Her friend freshman Kurtis Grant contributed to the project.
“I had an amazing time doing this and felt encouraged by the group,” Grant said. “Even though we were making the cards for the sick, the sick were ministering to us by teaching us how to make people feel like they mattered.”
The students sent the finished cards to three hospitals in the area: the White County Medical Center, the Arkansas Heart Hospital and the Arkansas Children’s Hospital.
According to Rogers, all three locations had positive responses to the cards and appreciated the students’ time and effort. Rogers said they were not allowed to put anything about Christianity in the cards because of hospital policies and also could not write anything about “getting well” because they did not know if the patients would actually recover.
“The hospitals called and thanked me,” Rogers said. “The patients loved it and some of the cards just had funny things or jokes inside, so it just brightened their days.”
Right after Thanksgiving break, Rogers plans to start a new round of cards for Christmas. Students interested in helping with those cards can start contacting Rogers now so she knows how many people to expect and the amount of supplies she will need.
“People should help make cards because not only are they helping others, I really believe it can save a life,” Rogers said. “Just knowing someone out there cares about them and it gives them motivation to keep going.”
However, whether students make cards or find other ways to make a positive impact, she encourages them to help in some way.
“I think if [students] feel God is nudging them to do something, they should just do it,” Rogers said. “Listen to your heart, and God will help you do the rest.”
