Notes of Hope
Notes of Hope
Written by Beth Wade Monday, 24 March 2008
Jayne Clark lost her father six years ago. Her grieving process led her to become a grief therapist to help others going through similar situations.
Clark’s life changed again after reading an article about two women dealing with the loss of their husbands in Iraq. This time, it was others’ grief which expanded the scope of her mission.
“As someone who works with people who have lost loved ones, I know there is a lot of emotional stuff that goes on, and people usually feel isolated and alone,” Clark said. “As I was reading the article, I felt that for them. I thought it would be very hard for them going from military to civilian life. It is two different worlds.”
That weekend Clark founded Notes of Hope, a non-partisan, non-political organization with a purpose of sending notes, cards, poems and letters to bereaved military families.
“We, as civilians, may not know how to support them. That was a big reason why I wanted to reach out to them,” she said. “Not just the wives, but the moms, dads, brothers and sisters – anybody who had lost somebody in the war. I thought it would be a great way to not just honor the soldiers, but honor their families as well, because they give up a lot when their loved one goes off.”
By the following Tuesday, Clark had founded the group. It operates under the umbrella of organizations at Church of the Savior in Cedar Park, but is not an official ministry of the church.
“I didn’t want to make it about politics. I didn’t want to make it about beliefs, if you think the war is right or wrong,” Clark said. “I just wanted to support the families. I felt like that would be a way we could all do it, regardless of beliefs and judgments about the war.”
Clark works with news stations and local reporters to find bereaved families’ addresses. When she sees stories on the news about a recently killed soldier, she will then contact the reporter, who first contacts the family for permission. Once Clark receives the address, she sends the card. Clark sends surplus cards to the Fort Hood Casualty Assistance Program, which distributes the cards to family members.
The premise of mailing notes to fallen soldier’s families seems simple, but can mean a lot to people dealing with grief, Clark said.
“When I read the article, I thought, wouldn’t it be great if, as a community or just for the sake of humanity, if we could reach out to these people?” Clark said. “We can’t change it, but we can absolutely let them know that people care about them.”
Losing her father was a profound loss for Clark, but going through the process and being honest with herself helped her deal with the pain, she said.
“Healing really can happen. [That loss] doesn’t have to stop your life,” Clark said. “If you allow yourself to be healed, a lot of good stuff can happen, and you can help other people.”
Clark sees the cards as a humanitarian effort. It is important for people to reach out because, in spite of not knowing these individuals personally, the smallest gesture can have profound impact, she said.
“I think as human beings we don’t have nearly enough of that on this planet. I feel like just because we may not know someone, that doesn’t mean that the intention of love, comfort and concern can’t be sent to them,” she said. “I think when we put that barrier down … it renews people’s faith in humanity. It is so easy to watch the news and feel bad for them, but if we are really active and did something out of pure intention and not wanting anything back, I think it is a good thing.”
On July 4 last year, she received a card in the mail from a family member of a soldier.
“It is hard to measure what we are doing because I can’t just call these people up and ask if they got our card,” she said. “I have to wait and if they want to respond, it is a good thing.”
For those wishing to contribute to Notes of Hope, cards can be sent to Clark or dropped off at Church of the Savior.
“The best way we can honor [fallen soldiers] is to honor their families,” she said. “We’re just getting started, but I think it will take off the more people get involved.”
Guidelines for those who want to contribute
- Messages should be written to extend comfort and support to bereaved military families and friends.
- Messages should be universal in nature, so be mindful of different religious beliefs and opinions.
- Write with love and compassion in your heart.
- Use your creativity and inspiration.
- Use only language that is clean and suitable for children.
Other Ways to help
- Make your own cards, write an inspirational poem, write a personal letter.
- Request for Clark to speak to your group about the inspiration behind Notes of Hope and why she started it.
- Sign the guest book on the web site.
- Send the Web site to everyone in your e-mail address book.
- Place cards in your place of business and allow your customers and clients to participate.
- Donate office supplies, card stock, paper, poster boards, ink cartridges, postage, displays for the cards.
- Make financial donations for administration, gas and travel expenses.
All donations are tax deductible, and checks can be made payable to Church of the Savior.
Notes of Hope, Church of the Savior
3402 Little Elm Trail, Cedar Park, TX 78613
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