The Bring Change to Mind club wrote gratitude notes for Valentine’s Day to frontline healthcare workers at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and Providence Saint John’s Health from Feb. 9-11 on the Quad. The club provided free candy was served and granted students one hour of community service for every 15 cards they wrote.

Students were allowed to decorate cards at the table throughout the school days, not just during lunch and breaks. Bring Change to Mind club leader and Meal Bridge LA founder Ella Goldberg ’23 transported the cards and meals downtown. The cards were donated alongside meals from the nonprofit Meal Bridge LA.

Goldberg said the event allowed students to destress by making crafts and simultaneously give back to the community by reducing the stigma surrounding mental health.

“I think the impact of this event is so great, as its goal is to increase positive student mental health and reduce the negative stigma around mental health while reducing student mental stress by allowing students to spend some free time doing a creative project,” Goldberg said. “It’s a nice way to relieve stress, as I’ve found students generally don’t have time to relax and take a break from academics. [It allowed] them to [take a breather] while still feeling productive.”

Participant Muskaan Schievink ’24 said the event indicated the student body’s commitment to community service.

“I was surprised by the number of students I saw at any moment writing cards,” Schievink said. “It really shows that the student body cares about helping others.”

Keira Morrell ’24 said she wrote 12 cards and that she enjoyed the community service aspect of the Bring Change to Mind event.

“It was fun to spend a few minutes writing cards, and I was glad I could give back to others,” Morrell said. “The community service hours were a nice added bonus.”